TNF and ependymoma: These locally elevated cytokines, together with oxidative stress and necrosis, may induce EMT-like changes or mesenchymal programs in tumor cells, consistent with observations in pediatric PFA ependymomas, where TGF-β1 and TNF-α drive mesenchymal gene expression via transcription factors such as NF-κB, AP-1, and MYC [12].