About this Research Topic

Background

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment landscape for various adult solid tumors, harnessing the body's immune system to combat cancer. However, pediatric cancers present unique challenges due to their distinct immunosuppressive microenvironments. These microenvironments are characterized by the presence of suppressive cells like regulatory T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and tumor-associated macrophages, which dampen the immune response against tumors. Understanding and targeting these immunosuppressive mechanisms in pediatric cancers is pivotal to the successful implementation of immunotherapy. This research topic aims to explore the applications and considerations of immunotherapy in pediatric cancers, focusing on the immunosuppressive microenvironment and its impact on treatment efficacy.

The overarching goal of this research topic is to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in pediatric cancers by deciphering and modulating the immunosuppressive microenvironment, with the aim of improving the prognosis and quality of life for children with cancer through more effective and targeted immunotherapeutic approaches. The topic is open to all clinical investigators and researchers involved in pediatric cancers worldwide. Research subjects include neuroblastoma, Ewing's sarcoma and other common solid tumors, and childhood leukemia, especially acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The content of the article may cover the immune genetic landscape, the alteration of the tumor immune microenvironment, the modification of the tumor microenvironment to reverse the immune system function, and the exploration of immunotherapy targets.

Specifically, Original Research, Review, and Case-Report articles that focus on, but are not limited to, the following subtopics are welcome.
1. Characterizing the unique immune landscape of pediatric tumors and identifying key suppressive cell populations and signaling pathways that hinder the anti-tumor immune response.
2. Investigating novel biomarkers that predict response to immunotherapy in children and aiding in patient selection for targeted treatment regimens.
3. Developing and testing combination therapies that synergize immunotherapy with agents that target and dismantle the immunosuppressive microenvironment in pediatric cancers.
4. Conducting clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of these therapeutic strategies and ensuring they are tailored to the specific needs of pediatric patients.

Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this journal.

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
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... 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
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

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.

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