Cancer in the nervous system articles from across Nature Portfolio

Neuron–oligodendroglial interactions modulate neural circuit structure and function in the healthy brain. In this Review, Taylor and Monje describe the accumulating evidence for how glial malignancies subvert and repurpose these powerful neuron–glial interactions to drive glioma pathophysiology.

In this compassionate use study, treatment of adult patients with H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma with a long peptide vaccine targeting H3K27M led to vaccine-induced peripheral T cell immune responses and encouraging clinical efficacy in the majority of patients, including a durable complete response.

This Review examines the interplay between the nervous system and tumours, from cancer initiation to progression and metastasis.

Glioblastoma (GBM) cells can infiltrate into the tumour microenvironment (TME) and contribute to recurrence. Here, the authors analyse primary and recurrent GBMs and their TME using single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomics, revealing tissue states defined by the combinations of neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells, which could be therapeutic targets.

Mutationally activated BRAF-V600E influences the behavior of different types of cells in the brain and leads to promotion of seizures as well as brain tumors, indicating how both can be pharmacologically targeted in the clinic.

Intratumoral infusion of a nonpathogenic replication-competent recombinant polio-rhinovirus chimera (PVSRIPO) for recurrent glioblastoma demonstrates safety and promising preliminary treatment responses.

Priego et al. show that a subpopulation of reactive astrocytes expressing signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is crucial for the development of brain metastases and report positive initial clinical data that inhibiting STAT3 can reduce metastasis.

Anti-GD2 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells may be a new and innovative approach for the treatment of pediatric H3-K27M-mutant diffuse midline gliomas.