Solid adult tumors are characterized by an highly inflammatory tumor microenvironment (TME) that favors not only tumor aggressiveness and drug resistance but also multiple immune escape mechanisms. This concept has been longtime underestimated in childhood cancers, especially in the embryonal tumors (neuroblastoma, Wilm's tumor, retinoblastoma, medulloblastoma, rabdomyosarcoma) where their embryonic gene signatures have been considered as leading causes of tumor development and aggressiveness. However, in the last decade, several groups have developed in childhood cancers studies concerning the involvement of TME components mainly in the development of tumor aggressiveness, metastatic process and drug resistance. Different papers have also investigated the role of TME in the induction of multiple immune escape mechanisms before and after drug or immune-based therapies. Thus, we believe that this domain deserves additional investigations since it is crucial to understand if these inhibitory effects could also hamper the novel sophisticated cell-based immunotherapies.

The goal of this topic will be to stimulate studies on:
- the immune-regulatory properties of the different soluble and cellular components of TME
- the impact of the conventional treatments and the new approaches in the development of an immunosupressive TME.
We encourage manuscripts focusing on both pediatric and solid malignancies including: central nervous system tumors, sarcomas of bone and soft tissues, neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, rhabdoid tumors, liver tumors, renal tumors, germinal tumors, pancreatic tumors, melanoma as well as leukemia and lymphoma.

In this issue, we are looking to receive Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Systematic Review, Methods, Data Report, Perspective and Opinion articles related to the following sub-topics:
• Strategy of identifying the cellular and the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of immune escape processes.
• Strategy to better characterize and target the immune suppressive elements of the tumour micro-environment.
• Immunosuppressive mechanisms mediated by immune suppressive elements like mesenchymal stem cell, T regulatory cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, tumor associated macrophages and cancer associated fibroblasts in terms of signaling, metabolism, 3D interaction and clinical impact.
• Definition of the mechanism to the resistance to conventional treatments as well as to immunotherapeutic approaches including but not limited to adoptive cell therapies and monoclonal antibodies.

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Frontiers in Immunology

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