Cancer drug resistance remains a major obstacle to effective therapy, often leading to treatment failure and disease relapse. Emerging evidence indicates that alterations in tumor metabolism and the tumor microenvironment (TME) critically contribute to the development and maintenance of drug resistance. Metabolic reprogramming enables cancer cells to survive therapeutic stress by adapting nutrient utilization, enhancing detoxification, and modulating cell death pathways.

Concurrently, the TME, including stromal cells, immune components, and extracellular matrix, creates a protective niche that fosters resistance through complex signaling crosstalk and metabolic support. This collection aims to bring together cutting-edge research elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which tumor metabolism and microenvironmental factors drive resistance to chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immunotherapies. It will also highlight novel strategies to overcome resistance by targeting metabolic vulnerabilities and TME interactions.

This collection will consolidate multidisciplinary perspectives, fostering a deeper understanding of how tumor metabolism and microenvironmental factors orchestrate drug resistance. It will also accelerate the identification of innovative biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve cancer treatment outcomes.