Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Precision Therapies to Urological Cancers: a Spotlight on Prostate and Renal Cell Cancer

Submission Deadline: 31 December 2025 View: 935 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Prof. Dr. Stergios Boussios

Email: stergiosboussios@gmail.com

Affiliation: 1. Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, 45110 Greece

2. Faculty of Medicine, Health and Social Care, Canterbury Christ Church University,Canterbury, CT1 1QU, UK 

3. School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, WC2R 2LS, UK

4. Kent Medway Medical School, University of Kent, Canterbury.CT2 7NY, UK

5. Consultant Medical Oncologist, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Canterbury, ME7 5NY, UK

6. Research & Innovation Department, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Canterbury, ME7 5NY, UK

7. Associate Royal College Tutor in Medicine, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Canterbury, ME7 5NY, UK

Homepage:

Research Interests: prostate cancer; renal cancer; ovarian cancer; homologous recombination of DNA; PARP inhibitors; cervical cancer; carcinoma of unknown primary; colorectal cancer; cancer and autoimmune diseases; biomarkers

Prof. Dr. Saak V. Ovsepian

Email: s.v.ovsepian@greenwich.ac.uk

Affiliation: 1. Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich London, London, SE10 9LS, UK

2. Faculty of Medicine, Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, 0179, Republic of Georgia

Homepage:

Research Interests: cholinergic neuron diseases; Alzheimer's and Dementia; neuron

Summary

Cancer is a diverse group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and the ability to invade or metastasize to other parts of the body. The wide range of cancer types stems from differences in the cells of origin and the molecular abnormalities driving their progression. Urological malignancies, such as prostate and kidney tumors, pose significant health challenges.Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in males worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in many regions. The androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in prostate cancer growth and progression. The AR is a nuclear hormone receptor that regulates the transcription of genes involved in cell proliferation and survival by binding to androgens such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the nucleus. Aberrant AR signalingresulting from overexpression, genetic mutations, or persistent activationdrives prostate cancer progression and contributes to resistance against conventional therapies.For localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC), robotic radical nephrectomy remains the primary curative treatment. However, approximately 40% of RCC patients experience tumor recurrence after surgical resection. Systemic treatment options include small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), cytokines, and monoclonal antibodies, including checkpoint inhibitors, which have been evaluated as both first-line and second-line therapies. Despite advancements, drug resistance remains a major obstacle to effective RCC treatment. Even with the use of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, and RAF kinase inhibitors, resistance continues to limit clinical success.This special issue aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying prostate cancer and RCC, highlight recent discoveries, and explore potential avenues for personalized treatment strategies.

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