Advanced Research in Pediatric Oncology

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatrics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 September 2026 | Viewed by 584

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10720, Thailand
2. Translational Medicine Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
Interests: pediatric surgical oncology; multi-omics in pediatric solid tumors
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There has been remarkable progress in pediatric oncology, yet complex challenges persist, such as effectively treating aggressive childhood cancers, minimizing long-term sequelae, and understanding disease recurrence. This Special Issue will showcase a collection of groundbreaking research articles that push the boundaries of current knowledge and therapeutic strategies. We aim to highlight cutting-edge advancements across the spectrum of pediatric cancer research. We invite submissions utilizing multi-omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) to decipher tumor heterogeneity and identify novel vulnerabilities. Contributions exploring advanced diagnostics, innovative targeted therapies, next-generation immunotherapies, precision medicine frameworks, and the intricate biology of the tumor microenvironment are particularly encouraged. This Special Issue will also cover the application of artificial intelligence, novel drug delivery systems, and strategies to improve long-term survivorship and quality of life, working toward a future where there are more effective and less toxic treatments for children with cancer.

Prof. Dr. Surasak Sangkhathat
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • pediatric oncology
  • multi-omics
  • precision medicine
  • targeted therapy
  • advanced diagnostics
  • tumor microenvironment
  • single-cell biology
  • drug discovery

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1748 KB  
Article
Landscape of Somatic Alterations in Thai Pediatric Hepatoblastoma: Implications for Clinical Outcomes and Therapeutic Opportunities
by Rinrabhat Udomwimonsit, Natakorn Nokchan, Pongsakorn Choochuen, Yanisa Klaewtanong, Surasak Sangkhathat and Kulpreeya Sirichamratsakul
Medicina 2026, 62(4), 764; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62040764 - 15 Apr 2026
Viewed by 381
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Hepatoblastoma (HB) is a rare pediatric liver cancer. Complete resection and chemotherapy are standard treatments, but many patients in developing countries present with unresectable tumors and show poor responses to conventional chemotherapy. Identifying somatic alterations in HB may help [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Hepatoblastoma (HB) is a rare pediatric liver cancer. Complete resection and chemotherapy are standard treatments, but many patients in developing countries present with unresectable tumors and show poor responses to conventional chemotherapy. Identifying somatic alterations in HB may help develop targeted molecular therapies. Materials and Methods: Exome sequencing was conducted on 34 HB patient samples to identify somatic mutations and copy number variations (CNVs) and to evaluate their relationships with clinical outcomes, including survival. Results: HB tumors showed a low mutational burden but a high rate of CNVs, averaging 181.5 CNVs compared to 3.6 somatic mutations per tumor. CNVs were enriched in pathways involved in transcription, differentiation, and development. The most common alterations were missense mutations in KMT2D (18%), CTNNB1 (12%), and MUC16 (3%). KMT2D mutations occurred more frequently than CTNNB1 mutations in this cohort. Patients with KMT2D or CTNNB1 mutations generally had better overall survival and longer disease-free intervals. Deletions of ZNF429 or FGD4 were linked to shorter survival in the cohort. Validation with an external dataset confirmed significant downregulation of FGD4 expression in HB samples, correlating with poorer survival. Conclusions: This study broadens the understanding of somatic alterations in HB patients, offering insights into the molecular mechanisms behind HB development and highlighting the potential of CNV profiling and FGD4 deletions as prognostic factors in HB. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research in Pediatric Oncology)
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