Xuhui Bao

        Cancer remains a significant global public health challenge and is the second leading cause of mortality in the United States. While traditional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have seen incremental advancements, the prognosis for many cancer patients continues to be poor. Over the past decade, the advent of novel targeted therapies, combination treatments, and immunotherapies has revolutionized the clinical approach to cancer care, offering new hope and changing treatment guidelines.
        These innovative therapies have been successful in significantly prolonging the lives of 10-30% of patients, marking a milestone in cancer treatment. However, the majority of cancer patients still do not benefit from these novel immunotherapies, highlighting a clear need for more effective treatment modalities. The urgency to improve patient outcomes has sparked intense research into the discovery of new antitumor targets, a deeper understanding of resistance mechanisms to current immunotherapies, and the intricate dynamics of the tumor microenvironment.
        Looking forward, the focus is on developing precision oncology strategies that can address these challenges. This includes not only identifying novel therapeutic targets but also unraveling the complex interactions within the tumor microenvironment that contribute to therapeutic resistance. By doing so, we aim to expand the arsenal of effective treatments and pave the way for more personalized and successful cancer therapies in the future.