Overcoming Immunotherapy Barriers in Pediatric Brain Tumors

Pediatric brain tumors are a profoundly challenging area for immunotherapeutic interventions, primarily due to their common occurrence in the delicate brain stem region. Surgical removal of tumors in this area is often unfeasible, leaving behind residual disease that complicates further treatment. The brain stem's confined space exacerbates the risk, as an aggressive immune response can quickly lead to severe complications such as obstructive hydrocephalus. Furthermore, the robust blood-brain barrier in these regions aims to prevent the infiltration of inflammatory cells, creating a 'cold' tumor microenvironment. This environment is dominated by immune-suppressive microglia and macrophages, while lacking in effector T cells that are crucial for tumor eradication. Moreover, the mutations driving these tumors frequently involve critical developmental pathways, adding another layer of complexity to their treatment.

This Research Topic aims to tackle the unique challenges hindering the effective delivery, implementation, and management of immunotherapy in pediatric brain tumors. Specifically, it seeks to understand and surmount the obstacles posed by the specialized blood-brain barrier, the suppressive local immune environment, and the intrinsic heterogeneity of these tumors. Additionally, it aims to identify new tumor-associated antigens that could enhance the immune response against these cancers and manage the delicate balance of eliciting an immune response without causing adverse effects in critical brain areas.

To gather further insights in the field of pediatric brain tumor immunotherapy, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Mechanisms for penetrating the selective blood-brain barrier in posterior fossa tumors.
- Immunobiological analysis of tissue-resident cells within different brain regions affected by tumors.
- Effects of pediatric brain tumors on both innate and adaptive immune responses.
- Identification of novel tumor-associated antigens to enhance anti-tumor immunity.
- Management strategies for inflammatory responses in the brain stem due to immunotherapy. Submissions are encouraged from original research that explores mechanisms of immune resistance, innovative overcoming strategies across various pediatric brain tumor types, and clinical studies, including trials and correlative research on new immunotherapeutic approaches.

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.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Pediatric brain tumors, immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment, immune signaling, tumor immunology

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.