Instructions for Authors

Publication Fees
Cancer Biome and Targeted Therapy operates under an open-access publishing model. There are no Article Processing Charges (APCs). Detailed information on fees, waivers, and discounts is available in the Instructions for Authors.

Peer Review Process

Cancer Biome and Targeted Therapy operates a rigorous, independent peer review process to ensure the scientific quality and integrity of published articles. Detailed information regarding the peer review model, reviewer selection, and decision-making process is available in the journal’s Peer Review Policy. View Peer Review Policy

Article types

All submissions must conform to the journal’s formatting requirements. Noncompliant manuscripts may be returned to the authors without review.

Manuscripts should be submitted as a single Microsoft Word document and each figure as a supplementary high-resolution PNG or TIFF file.

Research article 

Research Articles are original, peer-reviewed contributions that present significant advances in cancer biology, tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy, or targeted therapeutic strategies. Articles must offer new data, insights, or interpretations supported by rigorous experimental or computational methodology. Authors are encouraged to include a Data Availability Statement describing where supporting data, code, or materials can be accessed when applicable.

  • Word Limit:The main text (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) should generally not exceed 6,500 words, excluding references, figure legends, and supplementary material. Longer articles may be considered at the discretion of the editors when scientifically justified.
  • Abstract: Structured abstracts should be limited to 250 words and divided into labeled sections, headings include Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
  • Keywords: Authors are required to provide 6 keywords that accurately reflect the main scientific topics of the manuscript.

  • Figures and Tables: A combined maximum of 8 figures and/or tables is permitted. Additional data, extended figures, or complex visualizations may be included as supplementary material. Figures and tables should be embedded in the manuscript immediately after their first citation in the text and clearly labeled sequentially (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2A–B). Each figure must include a descriptive title and legend, placed immediately below the figure within the Word document.

    Acceptable figure formats include high-resolution images (≥300 dpi). Tables must be submitted in editable Word format and not as embedded images. Multi-panel figures should contain clearly visible embedded labels (A, B, C, etc.) using a consistent font style and size.

    If a figure is reproduced or adapted from previously published material, authors must provide appropriate attribution, cite the original source, and submit documentation confirming any required permissions as supplementary files.

    For figures created using third-party platforms or software (e.g., BioRender), authors must ensure that publication rights are permitted under the applicable license and provide supporting licensing documentation when required.

    For figures reproduced or adapted from Open Access publications, authors should include an attribution statement such as: Reproduced (or Adapted) from Smith et al., Journal Name, Year, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

  • Material and methods: The section should provide sufficient detail to allow others to replicate the findings, while avoiding unnecessary elaboration on standard procedures. Commonly used techniques (e.g., Western blotting, cloning, qPCR, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence) should be referenced by name only, without detailed step-by-step protocols, unless a novel modification has been introduced. Authors must provide sufficient detail to ensure reproducibility, including but not limited to primer sequences, antibody catalog numbers, and vendors for all immunodetection procedures, cell line names and their source (including the original repository or supplier and authentication status), and plasmid vectors or constructs with source information (e.g., Addgene ID, originating lab, or commercial provider). Authors must also include details of experimental controls, the number of biological replicates, statistical methods, and software versions used in data analysis.
  • Studies involving human participants, animals, clinical specimens, or identifiable patient data must include appropriate ethics approval information and informed consent statements where applicable.
  • Authors must disclose the use of artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted technologies in manuscript preparation in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies.
  • Human cell lines should be authenticated and regularly tested for mycoplasma contamination, where applicable.
  • The Materials and Methods section may contain standardized descriptions of widely used experimental procedures and protocols where scientifically appropriate. Authors remain responsible for ensuring accurate methodological reporting, appropriate citation of sources, and clear description of any modified or novel procedures.
  • References: Limited to a maximum of 60. Authors are expected to cite only the most relevant, high-quality, and recent peer-reviewed publications that directly support the study’s rationale, methodology, findings, and interpretation. Citations should primarily reference peer-reviewed scientific literature. Citation of conference abstracts, posters, meeting presentations, press releases, commercial reports, or non-curated webpages is generally discouraged. Preprints may be cited when scientifically justified and must be clearly identified as non-peer-reviewed material.

    References appear in the text (1) (not superscript), and a DOI link must be included for all journal citations (https://search.crossref.org/). References should follow the National Library of Medicine (NLM) / ICMJE style to ensure compatibility with PubMed Central (PMC), DOAJ, and Clarivate indexing systems. Citations must include all authors (up to six, followed by “et al.” if more), article title, journal title (abbreviated according to NLM standards), publication year, volume(issue), page range or article number, and DOI presented as a full URL. Format: Author(s). Article title. Journal Name. Year;Volume(Issue):Page–Page or ArticleNumber. https://doi.org/10xxxx

  • Supplementary Material: Extended data, additional figures, detailed methods, and raw datasets may be submitted as supplementary files, which will be reviewed alongside the main manuscript.

Review article

Review articles generally fall into two categories: descriptive/comprehensive and critical. 

Critical reviews: These articles rigorously evaluate key advances, identify knowledge gaps, and highlight emerging trends and challenges. They provide analysis of future research directions and help guide the field's evolution. Critical reviews are generally more focused and more concise than descriptive/comprehensive reviews.

Critical reviews are typically invited or commissioned by the editorial team.

Comprehensive review: The main purpose is to summarize and organize existing published literature on a broad topic, providing readers with a comprehensive overview without extensive personal analysis or interpretation. These reviews serve as valuable reference tools for researchers, clinicians, or trainees who are new to a particular field. 

  • Word Limit:The main text should generally not exceed 15,000 words, excluding references, figure legends, and supplementary material. Longer reviews may be considered at the discretion of the editors when scientifically justified.
  • Abstract: Abstracts should be unstructured, limited to 250 words, and written as a single paragraph with no subheadings.
  • Keywords: Authors are required to provide 6 keywords that accurately reflect the main scientific topics of the manuscript.
  • Figures and Tables: Authors are encouraged to include high-quality figures and tables that improve clarity and synthesis of the reviewed literature. A combined maximum of 8 figures and/or tables is permitted.
  • References: Authors should limit references to a maximum of 250.
  • Authors submitting review articles are encouraged to select broad topics and provide an in-depth synthesis of current knowledge in the field. To ensure a thorough, up-to-date perspective, include references, emphasizing recent publications that reflect the latest scientific developments. Citations should primarily reference peer-reviewed scientific literature. Citation of conference abstracts, posters, meeting presentations, press releases, commercial reports, or non-curated webpages is generally discouraged. Preprints may be cited when scientifically justified and must be clearly identified as non-peer-reviewed material.

    References appear in the text (1) (not superscript), and a DOI link must be included for all journal citations (https://search.crossref.org/). References should follow the National Library of Medicine (NLM) / ICMJE style to ensure compatibility with PubMed Central (PMC), DOAJ, and Clarivate indexing systems. Format: Author(s). Article title. Journal Name. Year;Volume(Issue):Page–Page or ArticleNumber. https://doi.org/10xxxx

Commentary

Commentaries are short, invited-only articles that provide an expert perspective on a recently published study in the journal. Commentaries are typically invited by the editors from experts with relevant subject expertise and perspective on the topic. The invitation to write a commentary is extended only after the peer review process has concluded, and a final decision has been made on the manuscript. This ensures that the integrity and confidentiality of the peer review process are fully maintained. Reviewers invited to write a commentary must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and must not reveal their role in the peer review process within the published article. 

  • Authors: Commentaries have a limit of three authors.
  • Word Limit: Text should not exceed 800 words. There is no abstract and no subheadings.
  • Keywords: Authors are required to provide 6 keywords that accurately reflect the main scientific topics of the manuscript.
  • Figures and Tables: A maximum of two figures is allowed.
  • References: A maximum of 25 references. Citations should primarily reference peer-reviewed scientific literature. Citation of conference abstracts, posters, meeting presentations, press releases, commercial reports, or non-curated webpages is generally discouraged. Preprints may be cited when scientifically justified and must be clearly identified as non-peer-reviewed material.

Brief Reports

Brief reports are concise articles that communicate focused experimental findings or novel observations of high interest to the field. These reports are intended for data sets that are limited in scope but scientifically and clinically relevant. Examples include, but are not limited to, the identification of novel biomarkers for disease diagnosis, prognosis, or therapeutic response; the discovery of new genetic or epigenetic alterations; the development of innovative assays or experimental techniques; early preclinical findings from emerging therapeutic agents; unexpected mechanistic insights from small-scale studies; or validation of key biological targets using limited but robust data sets.

  • Word Limit: The main text (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) should not exceed 1,500 words, not including References.
  • Abstract: Structured abstracts should be limited to 250 words and divided into labeled sections that summarize key parts of the manuscript. Common section headings include Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
  • Keywords: Authors are required to provide 6 keywords that accurately reflect the main scientific topics of the manuscript.
  • Figures and Tables: A combined maximum of 2 figures and/or tables is allowed. Embed figures and tables in the body of the text after the first mention. Clearly labeled in sequence: e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2A–B. For each figure, include a clear title and a legend caption. Place the caption immediately below the figure in the Word document. Acceptable formats: high-resolution (≥300 dpi) images, tables only in Word (not images).
  • Material and methods: The section should be concise yet provide sufficient detail to enable others to replicate the findings, while avoiding unnecessary elaboration on standard procedures. Studies involving human participants, animals, clinical specimens, or identifiable patient data must include appropriate ethics approval information and, where applicable, informed consent statements.
  • References: Limited to a maximum of 15. Citations should primarily reference peer-reviewed scientific literature. Citation of conference abstracts, posters, meeting presentations, press releases, commercial reports, or non-curated webpages is generally discouraged. Preprints may be cited when scientifically justified and must be clearly identified as non-peer-reviewed material.
  • Supplemental materials are not permitted for Brief Reports.