Molecular Advances in Schwannomas: So-Called Benign Nervous System Tumors

Dear Colleagues,

Schwannomas are considered benign nerve sheath tumours, yet their biological heterogeneity, diverse growth patterns, and neurological morbidity—particularly in syndromic disease such as neurofibromatosis type 2—indicates important gaps in current understanding and management of these tumours. This Special Issue integrates basic, translational, and clinical studies to provide the most up-to-date paradigms of schwannoma biology and care. Contributions to this issue shall highlight new insights into tumour biology with an emphasis on signaling pathways, lineage plasticity, and interactions with the neural, immune, and vascular microenvironment that shape tumor behavior. Advances in experimental models such as genetically engineered mouse models, organoids, and omics including single-cell and spatial profiling techniques, will be highlighted as tools to enhance disease classification and identify therapeutic vulnerabilities. Translational investigations will connect these discoveries to emerging modalities for disease monitoring and treatment, including biomarker development, advanced imaging strategies, liquid biopsy platforms, and targeted or immune-modulatory therapies aimed at slowing progression and preserving nerve function. The issue will also feature the growing role of artificial intelligence and computational modeling, demonstrating how integration of imaging, molecular, and clinical data can improve diagnosis, predict tumor growth, guide surveillance strategies, and inform personalized treatment planning. This issue aims to shed light on schwannoma pathobiology and accelerate the translation of innovative technologies into precision strategies that improve outcomes for patients.

I  look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Sheila Mansouri
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 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.