Advances in cellular immunotherapies for brain tumors

Immunotherapy for high grade CNS tumors including adult glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, pediatric high-grade gliomas, ependymoma and medulloblastoma has been largely disappointing to date. However, the new generation of effector T cell-based immunotherapies, which have been transformative in the management of B cell hematologic neoplasms, are showing promise in early clinical trials. These strategies include chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell, molecular engineered T-cell receptor bearing effector T cells, and novel strategies for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) treatments. Concurrently, preclinical models employing in vivo PET and MRI imaging techniques are developing strategies for early in vivo assessment of treatment response and mechanisms of treatment failure.

This volume will address the current state of cellular immunotherapies for high grade adult and pediatric primary brain tumors. The aim is to present the current status of the CART, engineered T cell receptor, and TIL strategies with a focus on novel insights regarding mechanisms of resistance and toxicities. A review of the current animal models used for preclinical optimization of CART and the other cellular immunotherapies will be part of this volume. In vivo imaging strategies for assessing treatment response and for characterizing the tumor immune microenvironment are relevant. The potential for combinatorial therapies employing T cell effector-based strategies and immune checkpoint inhibitors as well as immunomodulating drugs will be presented as well.

This Research Topic accepts Original Research, Review and Mini-Review, Clinical Trial. Topic will include but are not limited to:

• CART
• Molecularly engineered T cell receptor
• Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte strategies
• Combinatorial strategies
• Preclinical animal models
• In vivo imaging strategies
• In vivo imaging techniques