Molecular Biology for Germ Cell Tumors
A Special Issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694) belonging to the section "Molecular Cancer Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 199
Editor
Interests: genitourinary malignancies; cancer stem cells; intratumoral heterogeneity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The reasons for a widely metastatic solid cancer, such as germ cell tumors (GCTs), being still curable are elusive and enigmatic. Understanding the genomic and epigenomic origins of GCTs will enable us to elucidate their intratumoral heterogeneity, drug sensitivity/resistance, and somatic transformation, and facilitate the implementation of combined modality therapy. In many respects, germ cell is a primeval stem cell, and GCT is a prototype stem-cell cancer. Although genetic content may be pivotal, cellular context is paramount in the pathogenesis of GCT. Hence, GCT is rife with stem-ness and differentiating biomarkers, but has relatively few prevalent genetic defects, e.g., i(12p)/12p gain, which in principle should simplify and magnify their biological and clinical significances. Specifically, what is the basis for a benign versus malignant teratoma in a prepubertal, postpubertal ovarian or testicular GCT patient? What is the origin of extragonadal GCT in the pineal gland, anterior mediastinum, or myriad visceral organs, including the esophagus, kidney, and prostate? What is the cause of subsequent malignant neoplasms separate in time, space, and type for a patient cured of GCT? Answers to these and other important questions about the molecular biology of GCT in this Special Issue have important diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications.
Dr. Shi-Ming Tu
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- germ cell tumors
- intratumoral heterogeneity
- cancer stem cells
- somatic transformation
- extragonadal germ cells
- subsequent malignant neoplasms
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