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Recent Advances in Brain Cancers: Second Edition
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Recent Advances in Brain Cancers: Second Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 January 2026 | Viewed by 1801

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Monika Gudowska-Sawczuk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15A St., 15-269 Bialystok, Poland
Interests: biomarkers; non-invasive diagnosis; inflammation; tumor biomarkers; neuroinflammation; specific proteins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Karolina Orywal

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15 A, 15-276 Białystok, Poland
Interests: carcinogenesis; cancer diagnostics; cancer markers; minerals; alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzymes; aldehyde dehydrogenase; nutrition; food safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to announce a new Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, entitled “Recent Advances in Brain Cancers: Second Edition”.

Brain tumors in humans are still a challenge for clinicians and researchers. However, the overall prognosis has improved over the last few decades thanks to a better understanding of “why” these tumors occur and “how” we can treat them. Nevertheless, they are still often fatal diseases. Improving our knowledge of tumoral cellular characteristics, development, and response to treatments, as well as of the normal phenomena surrounding tissues, is necessary to improve patients’ survival and quality of life.

The scope of this issue will include studies on adult and pediatric brain tumors with various approaches to research (biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, molecular biophysics, molecular medicine, and all aspects of molecular research in chemistry). We are particularly interested in papers that answer longstanding questions, open new avenues of research, report unexpected findings, or change the way we think about brain cancers. Original reports and reviews will be considered. However, since IJMS is a journal focused on molecular science, purely clinical studies are not suitable.

Dr. Monika Gudowska-Sawczuk
Dr. Karolina Orywal
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • brain tumors
  • malignant brain tumor
  • advanced cancer biology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

18 pages, 1024 KB  
Review
Glioblastoma—A Contemporary Overview of Epidemiology, Classification, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment: A Review Article
by Kinga Królikowska, Katarzyna Błaszczak, Sławomir Ławicki, Monika Zajkowska and Monika Gudowska-Sawczuk
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(24), 12162; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412162 - 18 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1602
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most common and aggressive primary malignant tumors of the central nervous system, accounting for about half of all gliomas in adults. Despite intensive research and advances in molecular biology, genomics, and modern neuroimaging techniques, the prognosis for [...] Read more.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most common and aggressive primary malignant tumors of the central nervous system, accounting for about half of all gliomas in adults. Despite intensive research and advances in molecular biology, genomics, and modern neuroimaging techniques, the prognosis for patients with GBM remains extremely poor. Despite the implementation of multimodal treatment involving surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with temozolomide, the average survival time of patients is only about 15 months. This is primarily due to the complex biology of this cancer, which involves numerous genetic and epigenetic abnormalities, as well as a highly heterogeneous tumor structure and the presence of glioblastoma stem cells with self renewal capacity. Mutations and abnormalities in genes such as IDH-wt, EGFR, PTEN, TP53, TERT, and CDKN2A/B are crucial in the pathogenesis of GBM. In particular, IDH-wt status (wild-type isocitrate dehydrogenase) is one of the most important identification markers distinguishing GBM from other, more favorable gliomas with IDH mutations. Frequent EGFR amplifications and TERT gene promoter mutations lead to the deregulation of tumor cell proliferation and increased aggressiveness. In turn, the loss of function of suppressor genes such as PTEN or CDKN2A/B promotes uncontrolled cell growth and tumor progression. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment also plays an important role, promoting immune escape and weakening the effectiveness of systemic therapies, including immunotherapy. The aim of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge on the epidemiology, classification, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, as well as to discuss the impact of recent advances in molecular and imaging diagnostics on clinical decision-making. A comprehensive review of recent literature (2018–2025) was conducted, focusing on WHO CNS5 classification updates, novel biomarkers (IDH, TERT, MGMT, EGFR), and modern diagnostic techniques such as liquid biopsy, radiogenomics, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). The results of the review indicate that the introduction of integrated histo-molecular diagnostics in the WHO 2021 classification has significantly increased diagnostic precision, enabling better prognostic and therapeutic stratification of patients. Modern imaging techniques, such as advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and radiomics and radiogenomics tools, allow for more precise assessment of tumor characteristics, prediction of response to therapy, and monitoring of disease progression. Contemporary molecular techniques, including DNA methylation profiling and NGS, enable in-depth genomic and epigenetic analysis, which translates into a more personalized approach to treatment. Despite the use of multimodal therapy, which is based on maximum safe tumor resection followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy, recurrence is almost inevitable. GBM shows a high degree of resistance to treatment, which results from the presence of stem cell subpopulations, dynamic clonal evolution, and the ability to adapt to unfavorable microenvironmental conditions. Promising preclinical and early clinical results show new therapeutic strategies, including immunotherapy (cancer vaccines, checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T therapies), oncolytic virotherapy, and Tumor Treating Fields (TTF) technology. Although these methods show potential for prolonging survival, their clinical efficacy still needs to be confirmed in large studies. The role of artificial intelligence in the analysis of imaging and molecular data is also increasingly being emphasized, which may contribute to the development of more accurate predictive models and therapeutic decisions. Despite these advancements, GBM remains a major therapeutic challenge due to its high heterogeneity and treatment resistance. The integration of molecular diagnostics, artificial intelligence, and personalized therapeutic strategies that may enhance survival and quality of life for GBM patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Brain Cancers: Second Edition)
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