Neurooncology meets Neuroscience

Glioblastoma (GB) is the most aggressive brain tumor characterized by high proliferation rate, core necrosis, microvascular proliferation and tumor infiltration. GB treatment consists in tumor resection by surgery and radiotherapy plus concomitant chemotherapy with temozolomide (Stupp et al, 2005). However, GB still remains incurable with a low median survival rate of approx. 15 months. This is due to resistance to treatment mainly caused by the presence of tumor cells that escape tumor resection by invading the normal brain parenchyma. Recent developments in immunotherapy did not succeed in overcoming this challenge. Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying GB development are still not fully understood and current model systems addressing these questions are not adequate, impeding progress for the field. It has been shown that the tumor microenvironment (TME) in GB partially controls tumor growth and invasion, and constitutes a therapeutic target (Bikfalvi et al, 2022). A body of recent studies points to an important role of the normal neuronal brain environment in GB progression. This meeting brings people together from both, the neuro-oncology and neuroscience communities to highlight these new developments occurring at the interface between neuro-oncology and the neurosciences. The University of Bordeaux has to play a significant role within Cancer Neuroscience because of a very strong neuroscience center and solid cancer research. This is a unique opportunity for the university to provide a link between the Neurocampus and the Oncosphere of Bordeaux and to promote the implantation of this emerging field of research. Bordeaux Cancer Neuroscience (BCN) represents a bridge between these two entities.