Regulatory Networks of the Tumor Microenvironment in the Treatment of Malignant Brain Tumors

Up to now, the regulatory networks of malignant brain tumors remain unclear and the prognosis of patients is still poor. Glioblastoma, central nervous system lymphoma, and metastases are common brain malignancies in adults. Despite advances in comprehensive treatment, due to the strong immunosuppressive microenvironment, the survival rate of patients with malignant brain tumors is still unsatisfactory. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a major component of malignant brain tumors including resident microglia, recruited tumor-associated macrophages, stromal cells, glial cells, and neurons. However, cellular interactions among them and how they affect tumor growth or behavior are still unclear. In addition, by transforming the "cold" TME into a "hot" TME phenotype, therapeutic strategies for malignant brain tumor m are expected to bring new hope to patients with brain tumors. This conversion could increase the effectiveness of what have become conventional frontline immunotherapies in malignant brain tumors, creating better treatment opportunities through combination therapy.

This research topic aims to elaborate the regulatory mechanism of the malignant brain tumor microenvironment, especially for metabolic and immune microenvironment, using the interaction between genes, proteins, metabolites, etc., combined with the cellular interaction between tumor cells and immune cells, to form a perfect regulatory system of malignant brain tumor. Through the development of TME molecular interaction networks and precision treatment strategies in malignant brain tumors, we hope to obtain pioneering studies on molecular regulatory networks related to epigenetic, metabolic, and microenvironmental immune responses in malignant brain tumors and targeted TME strategies. Studies on glioblastoma, brainstem glioma, medulloblastoma, and other malignant brain tumors are all welcome for this topic. These may include but are not limited to the followings:

1. Microenvironment alteration and heterogeneity in malignant brain tumors
2. Molecular mechanisms of metabolic and immunity reprogramming in malignant brain tumors
3. Interaction mechanisms between malignant brain tumor and microenvironment
4. Novel therapies based on malignant brain tumor microenvironment
5. Epigenetic modification of malignant brain tumors

Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.

Keywords: brain tumors, microenvironmental, metabolic immune, regulatory network, treatment

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.