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Recent Advances in Brain Tumor Research and Treatment

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: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 849

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Neuroscience Department “Rita Levi Montalcini”, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, TO, Italy
Interests: neurosurgery; brain tumor; brain metastases; gliomas; glioblastoma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics "G. Sichel", University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Interests: non-coding RNAs; microRNAs; circular RNAs; regulation of gene expression; glioblastoma multiforme
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The study of brain tumors—particularly gliomas, glioblastomas, and cerebral metastases—continues to pose clinical and scientific challenges. Despite advances in diagnostics and therapeutics, these neoplasms remain among the most aggressive and treatment-resistant malignancies. This Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and multidisciplinary contributions that shed light on the latest innovations in the biological, molecular, radiological, and surgical understanding of brain tumors.

A special emphasis is placed on translational approaches that bridge basic science and clinical application, with the goal of identifying novel biomarkers, imaging techniques, molecular targets, and therapeutic strategies. We welcome studies exploring tumor microenvironment dynamics, epigenetic and genomic landscapes, resistance mechanisms, and the development of precision medicine frameworks. In parallel, innovations in neurosurgical techniques, image-guided interventions, and advanced neuroimaging are particularly encouraged, especially when integrated into multidisciplinary treatment pathways.

By gathering contributions from diverse but interconnected fields, this Special Issue aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of brain tumors and promote synergistic efforts between researchers, clinicians, and translational scientists. Ultimately, we strive to highlight progress that may improve prognosis and quality of life for patients facing these devastating diseases.

Dr. Daniele Armocida
Dr. Davide Barbagallo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

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Keywords

  • brain tumor
  • gliomas
  • brain metastases
  • translational research
  • molecular biology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 2583 KB  
Article
ASGR2 and CLEC12A as Prognostically Relevant C-Type Lectin Hubs in Glioblastoma
by Angelica Pace, Caterina Alfano, Luca D’Angelo, Chiara Napoletano, Ilaria Grazia Zizzari, Antonio Santoro, Marianna Nuti, Lorenzo Farina, Manuela Petti and Aurelia Rughetti
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(6), 2626; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27062626 - 13 Mar 2026
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Abstract
In glioblastoma, the strong immunosuppression of the tumor immune microenvironment fosters tumor aggressiveness and decreases the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions, including immunotherapies. An intricate network of connections among tumor cells, stroma and infiltrating immune cells sustains immunosuppression. Lectins are immunoregulatory glycan-binding receptors contributing [...] Read more.
In glioblastoma, the strong immunosuppression of the tumor immune microenvironment fosters tumor aggressiveness and decreases the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions, including immunotherapies. An intricate network of connections among tumor cells, stroma and infiltrating immune cells sustains immunosuppression. Lectins are immunoregulatory glycan-binding receptors contributing to immunosuppression. Their targeting is proposed as an appealing strategy for anti-cancer therapy. In this work, network-based approaches were exploited to identify a lectin profile that could dissect the complexity of tumor-immunity interactions in glioblastoma. Differential co-expression analysis, employing TCGA, CGGA and GTEx databases (145, 133 and 255 samples, respectively), identified a cluster of novel C-type lectins, with ASGR2 and CLEC12A as principal hubs. Furthermore, TIMER2.0 analysis revealed that their expression was significantly associated with immunosuppressive cells. ASGR2 and CLEC12A expression was also validated by cytofluorimetric analysis on both tumor and liquid biopsies from 20 glioblastoma patients. We report that ASGR2 and CLEC12A C-type lectins are associated with tumor-infiltrating immunosuppressive myeloid subsets and discriminate patients’ poor prognosis. These results suggest that C-type lectins may contribute to the immunosuppressive network sustained by infiltrating myeloid immune cells in GB, resulting in exploitable targets for therapeutic interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Brain Tumor Research and Treatment)
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