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Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Published on: November 28, 2015
The Dynamics of Interactions Among Immune and Glioblastoma Cells
Katalin Eder1, Bernadette Kalman2,3
1Department of Molecular Pathology, Markusovszky University Teaching Hospital, Markusovszky Street 5, Szombathely, 9700, Hungary. ederkati@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Glioblastoma is the most common intracranial malignancy that constitutes about 50 % of all gliomas. Despite aggressive, multimodal therapy consisting of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the outcome of patients with glioblastoma remains poor with 5-year survival rates of <10 %. Resistance to conventional therapies is most likely caused by several factors. Alterations in the functions of local immune mediators may represent a critical contributor to this resistance. The tumor microenvironment contains innate and adaptive immune cells in addition to the cancer cells and their surrounding stroma. These various cells communicate with each other by means of direct cell-cell contact or by soluble factors including cytokines and chemokines, and act in autocrine and paracrine manners to modulate tumor growth. There are dynamic interactions among the local immune elements and the tumor cells, where primarily the protective immune cells attempt to overcome the malignant cells. However, by developing somatic mutations and epigenetic modifications, the glioblastoma tumor cells acquire the capability of counteracting the local immune responses, and even exploit the immune cells and products for their own growth benefits. In this review, we survey those immune mechanisms that likely contribute to glioblastoma pathogenesis and may serve as a basis for novel treatment strategies.
Insights
Glioblastoma, a common brain cancer, shows poor survival despite treatment. Immune system interactions within the tumor microenvironment significantly influence glioblastoma growth and resistance to therapy.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Immunology
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- Glioblastoma is the most prevalent and aggressive primary brain tumor.
- Current treatments including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy offer limited survival benefits (<10% at 5 years).
- Therapeutic resistance is a major challenge in glioblastoma management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the immune mechanisms contributing to glioblastoma pathogenesis.
- To explore how the tumor microenvironment influences glioblastoma progression.
- To identify potential novel therapeutic targets based on immune interactions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on glioblastoma immunology.
- Analysis of immune cell roles and communication within the tumor microenvironment.
- Examination of glioblastoma's immune evasion and exploitation strategies.
Main Results:
- The tumor microenvironment comprises diverse immune cells that interact with glioblastoma cells.
- Glioblastoma cells develop mechanisms to evade or co-opt local immune responses.
- Immune mediators play a critical role in glioblastoma resistance to conventional therapies.
Conclusions:
- Understanding immune interactions is crucial for glioblastoma treatment.
- Targeting immune mechanisms offers a promising avenue for novel glioblastoma therapies.
- Modulating the tumor immune microenvironment may improve patient outcomes.
