Adult Diffuse Glioma Microenvironment Insight Into Cancer Ecology

Cancers of the central nervous system are among the most lethal of human neoplasms. They are recalcitrant to even intensive multimodality therapies that include surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Moreover, especially in children, the consequences of these therapies can itself be devastating and involve serious cognitive and developmental disorders. It is small wonder that such cancers have come under the intense scrutiny of each of the subspecialties of clinical care and investigation as well as attracting some of the best basic research scientists. Their joint efforts are gradually peeling away the mysteries surrounding the genesis and progression of these tumors and inroads are being steadily made into understanding why they resist therapies. This makes it an especially opportune time to assemble some of the best investigators in the field to review the ‘‘state of the art’’ in the various arenas that comprise the assault on CNS tumors. The breadth of this effort by the clinical and basic neuro-oncology community is quite simply amazing. To a large extent, it evolves from the knowledge of the human genome and its regulation that has been hard won over the past two decades.

This book presents the latest research pertaining to the diagnosis, therapy and management of diffuse low-grade gliomas (DLGG) in adults, with a particular focus on the path towards individualised therapy for this kind of tumour. Recent research on the natural history of DLGGs and their interaction with the brain has led to new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies which increase survival and quality of life of the patient, and these methods are described in this book.

Macrophages are core components of the innate immune system. Once activated, they may have either pro- or anti-inflammatory effects that include pathogen killing, safe disposal of apoptotic cells or tissue renewal. The activation state of macrophages is conceptualized by the so-called M1/M2 model of polarization. M2 macrophages are not simply antagonists of M1 macrophages; rather, they represent a network of tissue resident macrophages with roles in tissue development and organ homeostasis. M2 macrophages govern functions at the interfaces of immunity, tissue development and turnover, metabolism, and endocrine signaling. Dysfunction in M2 macrophages can ruin the healthy interplay between the immune system and metabolic processes, and lead to diseases such as insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, M2 macrophages are essential for healthy tissue development and immunological self-tolerance. Worryingly, these functions of M2 macrophages can also be disrupted, resulting in tumor growth and autoimmunity. This book comprehensively discusses the biology of M2 macrophages, summarizes the current state of knowledge, and highlights key questions that remain unanswered.

Revealing essential roles of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression, this book focuses on the role of hematopoietic components of the tumor microenvironment. Further, it teaches readers about the roles of distinct constituents of the tumor microenvironment and how they affect cancer development. Topics include neutrophils, basophils, T helper cells, cytotoxic lymphocytes, fibrocytes, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and more. Taken alongside its companion volumes, these books update us on what we know about various aspects of the tumor microenvironment as well as future directions. Tumor Microenvironment: Hematopoietic Cells – Part A is essential reading for advanced cell biology and cancer biology students as well as researchers seeking an update on research in the tumor microenvironment.

This book reviews the significant advances in our understanding of glioma biology that have been achieved during the past decade and describes in detail the resultant new approaches to treatment. Improvements in surgical techniques, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are comprehensively covered, with discussion of their impact in decreasing patient morbidity and increasing survival. In addition, individual chapters are devoted specifically to current treatment for low-grade gliomas, anaplastic gliomas, and glioblastoma multiforme. Other topics addressed include treatment of the elderly patient, investigating emerging therapies from small molecules to immunotherapy and palliative care. This timely book will be a valuable source of up-to-date information for practitioners and will also be of interest to researchers.