About this Research Topic
Central nervous system (CNS) tumors, including primary brain tumors and metastatic tumors, present distinct challenges due to their intricate metabolic environment and immunosuppressive properties within the CNS. Tumor cells in the CNS undergo specific metabolic adaptations to meet their energy requirements and facilitate rapid proliferation. These metabolic changes have the potential to impact the immune microenvironment, influencing the recruitment, activation, and effector functions within the tumor.
Moreover, the CNS microenvironment poses additional barriers to effective immune responses, such as the presence of the blood-brain barrier and the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment. A combination of these factors results in immune evasion, limited infiltration of immune cells, and compromised anti-tumor immune responses. Understanding the metabolic characteristics of tumor cells and their interactions with immune cells is crucial for the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies to treat CNS tumors and improve survival rates.
Despite significant advancements in the field, there are still several key questions that remain unanswered, and current research has limitations that impede our comprehensive understanding of tumor metabolism and the immune microenvironment in CNS tumors. Some of the unresolved questions and limitations include:
(1) Metabolic adaptations: What specific metabolic adaptations do CNS tumor cells make that impact the immune microenvironment? How do these adaptations differ from other types of tumors?
(2) Immune suppression mechanisms: How do CNS tumors establish immune-suppressive microenvironments, and what are the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for immune evasion?
(3) Metabolic crosstalk and Therapeutic resistance: To what extent does metabolic crosstalk occur between tumor cells and immune cells within the CNS tumor microenvironment? How does this crosstalk influence tumor progression and responses to therapy? How does the metabolic profile of CNS tumors contribute to therapeutic resistance, particularly in the context of immunotherapies? Can targeting specific metabolic pathways overcome resistance mechanisms?
The goal of this Research Topic is to promote research and enhance understanding in the field of tumor metabolism and immune microenvironment in CNS tumors. We actively encourage researchers to submit Original Research articles, Reviews, Methods, and General Commentaries to advance the field. By bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines, we aim to provide a comprehensive perspective on the cutting-edge issues in CNS tumor metabolism and immune microenvironment research. We seek to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and facilitate the exchange of knowledge. This Research Topic welcomes submissions covering a broad range of areas, including but not limited to:
· Metabolic pathways and regulatory mechanisms specific to CNS tumor cells;
· Interactions between CNS immune cells and tumor metabolism;
· The impact of CNS tumor metabolism on immune-based therapies;
· Regulation of CNS tumor metabolism and immune response by microenvironmental factors;
· The connection between CNS tumor metabolism and immune evasion mechanisms;
· Applications of novel treatment strategies and drugs within CNS tumor metabolism and immune microenvironment.
Please note: studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic data do not fall within the scope of the section unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Moreover, the CNS microenvironment poses additional barriers to effective immune responses, such as the presence of the blood-brain barrier and the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment. A combination of these factors results in immune evasion, limited infiltration of immune cells, and compromised anti-tumor immune responses. Understanding the metabolic characteristics of tumor cells and their interactions with immune cells is crucial for the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies to treat CNS tumors and improve survival rates.
Despite significant advancements in the field, there are still several key questions that remain unanswered, and current research has limitations that impede our comprehensive understanding of tumor metabolism and the immune microenvironment in CNS tumors. Some of the unresolved questions and limitations include:
(1) Metabolic adaptations: What specific metabolic adaptations do CNS tumor cells make that impact the immune microenvironment? How do these adaptations differ from other types of tumors?
(2) Immune suppression mechanisms: How do CNS tumors establish immune-suppressive microenvironments, and what are the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for immune evasion?
(3) Metabolic crosstalk and Therapeutic resistance: To what extent does metabolic crosstalk occur between tumor cells and immune cells within the CNS tumor microenvironment? How does this crosstalk influence tumor progression and responses to therapy? How does the metabolic profile of CNS tumors contribute to therapeutic resistance, particularly in the context of immunotherapies? Can targeting specific metabolic pathways overcome resistance mechanisms?
The goal of this Research Topic is to promote research and enhance understanding in the field of tumor metabolism and immune microenvironment in CNS tumors. We actively encourage researchers to submit Original Research articles, Reviews, Methods, and General Commentaries to advance the field. By bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines, we aim to provide a comprehensive perspective on the cutting-edge issues in CNS tumor metabolism and immune microenvironment research. We seek to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and facilitate the exchange of knowledge. This Research Topic welcomes submissions covering a broad range of areas, including but not limited to:
· Metabolic pathways and regulatory mechanisms specific to CNS tumor cells;
· Interactions between CNS immune cells and tumor metabolism;
· The impact of CNS tumor metabolism on immune-based therapies;
· Regulation of CNS tumor metabolism and immune response by microenvironmental factors;
· The connection between CNS tumor metabolism and immune evasion mechanisms;
· Applications of novel treatment strategies and drugs within CNS tumor metabolism and immune microenvironment.
Please note: studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic data do not fall within the scope of the section unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Keywords: tumor metabolism, immune microenvironment, central nervous system tumor
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.
