Personalized treatment for solid tumors based on biomarkers has seen significant advancements in recent years. In Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia (WM), somatic mutations in MYD88 and CXCR4 genes have been recognized as pivotal in disease pathogenesis and have implications for therapeutic targeting. However, in contrast to chronic B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) where certain biomarkers such as TP53 mutations, 17p deletion, and IGHV mutational status have been associated with prognosis and treatment response identification of unique biomarkers in WM is pending.
This Research Topic focuses on discovering actionable targets based on predictive markers such as MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and epigenetic alterations for personalized therapies in WM. MiRNAs and epigenetic changes play essential roles in WM's development and progression by altering gene expression. While significant discoveries, such as the dysregulation of miR-15a and miR-16-1 in B-CLL, highlight the role of miRNAs in disease pathogenesis, similar data for WM are limited. Exploration into noncoding RNAs, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), is also needed. Additionally, epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNA-associated gene silencing, are implicated in these malignancies. For instance, B-CLL
showcases global hypomethylation and hypermethylation of specific gene promoters, leading to the silencing of crucial tumor suppressor genes, like those encoding the p16 protein involved in cell cycle regulation. The role of the tumor microenvironment also remains a critical area of investigation, underlining the complexity of targeting these diseases.
Bispecific antibodies and other antibody constructs, including CD-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T therapy), have shown effectiveness in treating relapsed or refractory B lymphoid malignancies, including multiple myeloma. However, no clinical trials have been initiated for WM so far. The aim is to leverage these findings into actionable targets for customized second-line treatments and to establish personalized first-line therapies for WM.
We welcome authors to contribute to our collection, and we invite original research articles, case reports, reviews, mini-reviews, opinion papers, and perspective articles that delve into the discovery of biomarkers and future directions of personalized therapy in Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia. Specific themes of interest include the tumor microenvironment, immune evasion mechanisms, novel immunotherapeutic targets, and personalized immunotherapy approaches. We strongly encourage contributions that focus on potential intracellular molecular pathway interactions and microenvironment interactions that may contribute to the development of new combination treatment strategies.
Keywords:
molecular targets, personalised treatment, Waldenström macroglobulinemia, CD20, bruton tyrosine kinase, CXCR4
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.
Personalized treatment for solid tumors based on biomarkers has seen significant advancements in recent years. In Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia (WM), somatic mutations in MYD88 and CXCR4 genes have been recognized as pivotal in disease pathogenesis and have implications for therapeutic targeting. However, in contrast to chronic B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) where certain biomarkers such as TP53 mutations, 17p deletion, and IGHV mutational status have been associated with prognosis and treatment response identification of unique biomarkers in WM is pending.
This Research Topic focuses on discovering actionable targets based on predictive markers such as MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and epigenetic alterations for personalized therapies in WM. MiRNAs and epigenetic changes play essential roles in WM's development and progression by altering gene expression. While significant discoveries, such as the dysregulation of miR-15a and miR-16-1 in B-CLL, highlight the role of miRNAs in disease pathogenesis, similar data for WM are limited. Exploration into noncoding RNAs, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), is also needed. Additionally, epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNA-associated gene silencing, are implicated in these malignancies. For instance, B-CLL
showcases global hypomethylation and hypermethylation of specific gene promoters, leading to the silencing of crucial tumor suppressor genes, like those encoding the p16 protein involved in cell cycle regulation. The role of the tumor microenvironment also remains a critical area of investigation, underlining the complexity of targeting these diseases.
Bispecific antibodies and other antibody constructs, including CD-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T therapy), have shown effectiveness in treating relapsed or refractory B lymphoid malignancies, including multiple myeloma. However, no clinical trials have been initiated for WM so far. The aim is to leverage these findings into actionable targets for customized second-line treatments and to establish personalized first-line therapies for WM.
We welcome authors to contribute to our collection, and we invite original research articles, case reports, reviews, mini-reviews, opinion papers, and perspective articles that delve into the discovery of biomarkers and future directions of personalized therapy in Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia. Specific themes of interest include the tumor microenvironment, immune evasion mechanisms, novel immunotherapeutic targets, and personalized immunotherapy approaches. We strongly encourage contributions that focus on potential intracellular molecular pathway interactions and microenvironment interactions that may contribute to the development of new combination treatment strategies.
Keywords:
molecular targets, personalised treatment, Waldenström macroglobulinemia, CD20, bruton tyrosine kinase, CXCR4
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.