Health Nexus: Cancer Biology and Therapeutics (HNCBT) publishes research that explains how cancers develop, persist and respond to treatment, and connects biological discoveries with the development and evaluation of cancer therapeutics.

Scientific remit

The journal brings together experimental cancer biology, molecular oncology and translational investigation. Its central interest is evidence that advances understanding of malignant disease or provides a sound basis for improving diagnosis, treatment selection and therapeutic response. Submissions should identify a clear cancer-related question and show how the findings extend existing knowledge.

• Tumor biology: oncogenic signaling, cancer genetics and epigenetics, metabolism, stem cell biology, clonal evolution, invasion and metastasis.
• Tumor microenvironment and immunity: stromal interactions, immune evasion, inflammation, tumor–host relationships and mechanisms of immunotherapy response.
• Therapeutic discovery: target validation, drug development, pharmacology, delivery systems, targeted therapies, immunotherapies, radiotherapy and rational combinations.
• Translational and precision oncology: biomarkers, liquid biopsy, patient-derived models, resistance mechanisms and clinically relevant molecular stratification.
• Quantitative and emerging approaches: functional genomics, single-cell and spatial profiling, computational oncology and reproducible methods for cancer research.

Contribution and evidential standards

HNCBT considers original research, reviews, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, translational studies, methodological papers and selected perspectives. Experimental findings must be supported by appropriate controls, independent replication where relevant, authenticated research materials and transparent statistical analysis. Clinical and computational studies should distinguish exploratory findings from validated conclusions and state the limits of generalizability.

Well-designed studies with negative or inconclusive results are eligible when they answer a meaningful question. Descriptive analyses require a clear scientific contribution; clinical claims should be proportionate to the evidence and supported by an appropriate validation strategy. Research unrelated to cancer biology or therapeutics falls outside the journal’s remit.

Readership and editorial assessment

The journal serves cancer researchers, translational investigators, oncologists, pharmacologists, pathologists and specialists developing diagnostic or therapeutic technologies. Manuscripts are assessed for relevance, methodological quality, reproducibility, ethical acceptability and the clarity of their contribution. Editorial decisions are independent of payment and commercial interests. See Author Guidelines and Peer Review before preparing a submission.