Vaccines for brain tumors: from bench to bedside

Brain tumors, remain among the most difficult cancers to treat, with limited therapeutic options and poor long-term survival despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Therapeutic vaccination has emerged as a promising strategy to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and induce durable, tumor-specific immunity in the central nervous system.Pioneering work in this field — including the development of DNA-based vaccines and cytokine gene therapy approaches using IL-2- and IL-15-secreting fibroblasts, tested in intracerebral tumor models — has demonstrated that induction of systemic anti-tumor immunity is achievable and can meaningfully control tumor growth in preclinical settings. Building on this foundation, this Research Topic welcomes contributions on vaccine platforms designed to enhance anti-tumor immune responses against brain tumors, including approaches that fuse tumor-derived DNA or RNA into highly immunogenic cell lines to boost antigen presentation, as well as cytokine-secreting delivery systems evaluated in animal models of intracerebral malignancy. We particularly encourage submissions addressing the mechanisms underlying induced systemic immunity and the translational barriers that continue to slow progress from bench to clinical trials.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:● Design and optimization of tumor cell-based or nucleic acid-based (DNA/RNA) vaccine platforms● Cytokine gene therapy, including IL-2- and IL-15-secreting fibroblast or viral delivery systems, in intracerebral tumor models● Mechanisms of vaccine-induced systemic and local anti-tumor immunity● Preclinical models of brain tumor vaccination and efficacy assessment● Immune evasion and the tumor microenvironment as barriers to vaccine efficacy● Vaccine strategies across glioma subtypes (glioblastoma, high and low-grade glioma) and other primary CNS tumors (meningioma, medulloblastoma, ependymoma)● Vaccine approaches for brain metastases originating from extracranial cancers● Pediatric versus adult brain tumor vaccine considerations● Immunological differences between primary brain tumors and metastatic CNS disease relevant to vaccine design● Translational and clinical trial challenges in brain tumor immunotherapy● Combination strategies pairing vaccines with checkpoint inhibitors or other immunotherapiesBy bringing together preclinical and translational research, this Research Topic aims to advance understanding of how vaccine-based strategies can be moved from experimental models toward effective clinical application for brain tumor patients. Topic editors: Terry Lichtor, InSug O-Sullivan, Bingtao Tang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84793/vaccines-for-brain-tumors-from-bench-to-bedside