Hereditary Syndrome in Pediatric Central Nervous System Tumors

  • 4,753

    Total downloads

  • 17k

    Total views and downloads

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the second most common tumor in the pediatric population. CNS tumors are predominantly caused by an acquired somatic mutation or an underlying germline mutation, which both can be inherited or arise de novo. It is well known that some CNS tumors result from one or many genetic cancer predisposition syndromes or have a close relationship with them. For example, approximately 10% of medulloblastoma may be accompanied by different syndromes such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Gorlin-Goltz syndrome, and Familial adenomatous polyposis. Germline ELP1 and GPR161 mutations are recently proven to be related to medulloblastoma. Some ependymoma patients are also found with germline MEN1 mutation (multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 1).

Many genetic tumor predisposition syndromes that may cause CNS tumors have been reported at the ear of next-generation sequencing, especially in children. In this context, early diagnosis of familial tumor predisposition syndrome in children with CNS tumors and screening in family members are important. It is also important to evaluate the penetrance of putative pathogenic variation in the general population. Utilizing and combining different public NGS data could further improve our understanding of these rare diseases, which demand collaboration between different countries, and expertise from different research fields. Epidemiology and improved diagnostic criteria may provide a better understanding for clinicians and patients' families, such as “Toronto Criteria” of Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

CNS tumors in the setting of familial tumor predisposition syndromes might be similar to their sporadic counterparts or distinct. For example, choroid plexus carcinoma patients have the worst prognosis if germline TP53 mutation was found. A deeper investigation into the genetic and biology of those pediatric CNS tumors arising in familial predisposition syndromes is mandatory and may help scientists to improve the current treatment strategies or find novel therapeutic targets.

Germline mutated genes and their constituent pathways may be a good research model for drug screening. For example, mTOR inhibitors have been successfully used to treat tuberous sclerosis complex related subependymal giant cell astrocytoma. However, from the therapeutic prospect, it’s more challenging to rescue loss-of-function of genes than inhibiting the function of gain-of-function. Thus, more basic research and international collaborations should be performed to achieve the purpose of personalized therapy.

This Research Topic encourages manuscript submissions of various types: Research Articles, Review Articles, Meta-Analysis, Brief Research Report and Letter to the Editor.

Manuscripts should focus on but are not limited to:
1. Epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment in pediatric CNS tumors related with familial tumor predisposition syndromes.
2. Reviews about recent advances including new treatment targets and clinical trials.
3. Pre-clinical data such as in vitro and in vivo tests of some new small molecule drugs in hereditary disease.
4. New discovery of signal pathway or gene mutation in pediatric hereditary syndromes.

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: central nervous system, pediatric neuro-oncology, CNS tumors, familial tumor, gene mutation

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.

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

Participating Journals

Impact

  • 17kTopic views
  • 11kArticle views
  • 4,753Article downloads
View impact