Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.8
2.7
Journals
Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Neurotoxicities from Cancer Immunotherapies
share announcement

Neurotoxicities from Cancer Immunotherapies

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuro-oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 5444

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Giulia Berzero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
2. Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
Interests: brain tumors; paraneoplastic neurological syndromes; autoimmune encephalitis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As you may know, the recent advent of cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the prognosis of some advanced and refractory cancers, including melanoma and B-cell lymphomas. Regardless of their spectacular therapeutic results, cancer immunotherapies have been associated with a wide range of immune-related neurological complications, ranging from CNS dysfunction to neuromuscular disorders and myositis. Although neurologists, especially at academic cancer centers, have been learning how to diagnose and manage immune-related neurological adverse events, little is still known about rare clinical phenotypes and late-onset toxicities. The prediction and prevention of neurological toxicities is still in its infancy due to the lack of solid biomarkers, and the inadequate characterization of their pathophysiology hampers the implementation of individualized treatment approaches. Optimal treatment strategies in the case of corticosteroid resistance, as well as treatment duration, long-term prognosis and risk of relapse have not been clearly defined. This Special Issue invites original research articles and reviews addressing new clinical phenotypes, identifying novel biomarkers or offering insights on pathophysiology and personalized treatment strategies for immune-related neurological adverse events from cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cells, drug-conjugated and bispecific antibodies. We welcome all contributions shedding light on this exciting area of research straddling between neuro-oncology and neuro-immunology.

Dr. Giulia Berzero
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cancer immunotherapy
  • neurological toxicities
  • immune checkpoint inhibitors
  • CAR-T cells and bispecific antibodies
  • cytokine release syndrome
  • biomarkers
  • personalized treatment

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

22 pages, 931 KiB  
Review
CAR-T Cells for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Tumours: Known and Emerging Neurotoxicities
by Leonardo Palazzo, Valentina Pieri, Giulia Berzero and Massimo Filippi
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14121220 - 30 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1582
Abstract
The advent of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells has recently changed the prognosis of relapsing/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, showing response rates as high as 60 to 80%. Common toxicities reported in the pivotal clinical trials include the cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and [...] Read more.
The advent of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells has recently changed the prognosis of relapsing/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, showing response rates as high as 60 to 80%. Common toxicities reported in the pivotal clinical trials include the cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and the Immune effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS), a stereotyped encephalopathy related to myeloid cell activation and blood–brain barrier dysfunction, presenting with a distinctive cascade of dysgraphia, aphasia, disorientation, attention deficits, vigilance impairment, motor symptoms, seizures, and diffuse brain oedema. The tremendous oncological efficacy of CAR-T cells observed in systemic B-cell malignancies is leading to their growing use in patients with primary or secondary central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas and in patients with solid tumours, including several CNS cancers. Early studies conducted in adult and paediatric patients with solid CNS tumours reported a distinct profile of neurotoxicity referred to as Tumour inflammation-associated neurotoxicity (TIAN), corresponding to local inflammation at the tumour site manifesting with focal neurological deficits or mechanical complications (e.g., obstructive hydrocephalus). The present review summarises available data on the efficacy and safety of CAR-T cells for solid and haematological CNS malignancies, emphasising known and emerging phenotypes, ongoing challenges, and future perspectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurotoxicities from Cancer Immunotherapies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 307 KiB  
Review
Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairments (CRCIs) in Non-Central Nervous System Adult Patients: Outcome Measures and Methodology of Assessment: A Literature Review
by Andrea Pace, Antonio Tanzilli, Enrico Marchioni, Alessia Pellerino, Antonino Carmelo Tralongo, Paola Bini, Paolo Tralongo and Stefano Francesco Cappa
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1119; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14111119 - 4 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1588
Abstract
Background: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) represents one of the most common and debilitating effects in patients surviving after cancer treatments. Neurocognitive deficits are important causes of disability and burden in cancer survivors. The true magnitude of CRCI is difficult to define due to [...] Read more.
Background: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) represents one of the most common and debilitating effects in patients surviving after cancer treatments. Neurocognitive deficits are important causes of disability and burden in cancer survivors. The true magnitude of CRCI is difficult to define due to significant heterogeneity of literature data. At present, there is no agreement on the gold standard for detection and grading of CRCI in clinical trials, and there is a lack of clear knowledge of its pathophysiology. Objectives: In this review, we aim to discuss some perspectives for future research to pursue in order to cover the gaps in knowledge in the CRCI field. Methods: We focused our literature research on the following relevant issues: neuroradiological correlates of CRCI; objective neuropsychological evaluation and subjective complaint assessment and their correlation with objective measures; timing of assessment; and possible treatments. Results: The correct methodology for evaluating cognitive deficits induced by anti-tumor treatments still requires a definition based on quality scientific evidence, and literature data are currently scarce. Conclusions: This review highlights the need for further research to understand the causes and consequences of cancer-related cognitive impairment using standardized and sensitive measures of cognitive functions and the long-term effects of chemotherapy on cognitive functions and to develop effective interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurotoxicities from Cancer Immunotherapies)
26 pages, 2249 KiB  
Review
Unravelling the Acute, Chronic and Steroid-Refractory Management of High-Grade Neurological Immune-Related Adverse Events: A Call to Action
by Antonio Malvaso, Pierpaolo Giglio, Luca Diamanti, Matteo Gastaldi, Elisa Vegezzi, Andrea Pace, Paola Bini and Enrico Marchioni
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(8), 764; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14080764 - 29 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1739
Abstract
Rare side effects of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are known as neurological immune-related adverse events (n-irAEs). Typically, n-irAEs affect the peripheral nervous system, primarily presenting as myositis, polyradiculoneuropathy, or cranial neuropathy. Less commonly, they impact the central nervous system, resulting in encephalitis, meningitis, or [...] Read more.
Rare side effects of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are known as neurological immune-related adverse events (n-irAEs). Typically, n-irAEs affect the peripheral nervous system, primarily presenting as myositis, polyradiculoneuropathy, or cranial neuropathy. Less commonly, they impact the central nervous system, resulting in encephalitis, meningitis, or myelitis. High-grade n-irAEs managing and recognizing remains challenging, considering the risk of mortality and long-term disability. To date, strong scientific data are lacking to support the management of high-grade clinical forms. We performed a systematic literature search, selecting all articles describing high-grade steroid-resistance n-irAEs. and we reported them in a practical review. Specifically, current recommendations advise stopping ICI use and beginning corticosteroid treatment. Our findings highlighted that in steroid-resistant n-irAEs, it should be recommended to quickly escalate to plasma exchange (PLEX) and/or intravenously immunoglobulins (IVIg), usually in association with other immunosuppressants. Furthermore, newer evidence supports the use of drugs that may specifically block inflammation without reducing the anti-tumour effect of ICIs. In this practical review, we provide new evidence regarding the therapeutic approach of high-grade n-irAEs, particularly in steroid-resistant cases. We would also stress the importance of informing the scientific community of the discrepancy between current guidelines and clinical evidence in these rare forms of pathology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurotoxicities from Cancer Immunotherapies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop