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Published on: November 28, 2015
How immunotherapies are targeting the glioblastoma immune environment
Jonathan Felthun1, Rajesh Reddy2, Kerrie Leanne McDonald3
1Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Abstract:
The diagnosis of glioblastoma remains one of the most dismal in medical practice, with current standard care only providing a median survival of 14.6 months. The need for new therapies is desperately clear. Components of the tumour microenvironment are demonstrating growing importance in the field, given they allow the tumour to utilise pathways involved in autoimmune prevention, something that enables the tumour's establishment and growth. As with many different cancers, the search for a new standard has progressed to the design of immunotherapies, which aim to counteract the immune changes within this microenvironment. Serotherapy, adoptive lymphocyte transfer, peptide and dendritic cell vaccines and a range of other methods are currently under investigation, while intracranial infection has also been researched for its capacity to reverse glioblastoma mediated immunosuppression. Some of these new therapies have shown promise, but it is a long road ahead before their incorporation into glioblastoma standard therapy.
Insights
Glioblastoma treatment is poor, necessitating new therapies. Research explores immunotherapies targeting the tumor microenvironment to improve patient survival for this aggressive brain cancer.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Immunology
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- Glioblastoma (GBM) has a dismal prognosis with current standard care, offering a median survival of only 14.6 months.
- The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in GBM progression by facilitating immune evasion and tumor growth.
- There is an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies to overcome treatment resistance in glioblastoma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review emerging immunotherapies aimed at counteracting immune suppression within the glioblastoma microenvironment.
- To highlight the potential of targeting tumor-associated immune pathways for improved glioblastoma treatment.
- To discuss the current landscape of investigational therapies for glioblastoma.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on glioblastoma, tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy.
- Exploration of various immunotherapeutic approaches including serotherapy, adoptive lymphocyte transfer, and vaccines.
- Investigation into novel strategies such as oncolytic viral therapy and its role in reversing immunosuppression.
Main Results:
- Components of the tumor microenvironment are key targets for new glioblastoma therapies.
- Immunotherapies show promise in reversing glioblastoma-induced immune suppression.
- Several novel treatment modalities are under active investigation for glioblastoma.
Conclusions:
- Targeting the immune microenvironment represents a promising avenue for glioblastoma treatment development.
- While promising, significant research and clinical validation are required before these immunotherapies become standard care.
- The development of effective immunotherapies is crucial for improving outcomes in patients with glioblastoma.
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