Glioblastoma Immune Landscape and the Potential of New Immunotherapies
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Updated: Dec 2, 2025
Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Published on: November 28, 2015
Thomas Daubon1, Audrey Hemadou2, Irati Romero Garmendia1
1University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires (IBGC), UMR 5095, Bordeaux, France.
Abstract:
Glioblastoma (GBM) are the most common tumors of the central nervous system and among the deadliest cancers in adults. GBM overall survival has not improved over the last decade despite optimization of therapeutic standard-of-care. While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized cancer care, they unfortunately have little therapeutic success in GBM. Here, we elaborate on normal brain and GBM-associated immune landscapes. We describe the role of microglia and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in immune suppression and highlight the impact of energy metabolism in immune evasion. We also describe the challenges and opportunities of immunotherapies in GBM and discuss new avenues based on harnessing the anti-tumor activity of myeloid cells, vaccines, chimeric antigen receptors (CAR)-T and -NK cells, oncolytic viruses, nanocarriers, and combination therapies.
Insights
Glioblastoma (GBM) remains a deadly brain cancer with limited treatment progress. New immunotherapies targeting myeloid cells, vaccines, and CAR-T cells show promise for improving GBM patient survival.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Immunology
- Cancer Metabolism
Background:
- Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent and lethal adult central nervous system tumor.
- Despite therapeutic advancements, GBM patient survival rates have stagnated over the past decade.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) show limited efficacy in GBM, unlike in other cancers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the immune landscape in normal brain tissue and GBM.
- To elucidate the immunosuppressive roles of microglia and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in GBM.
- To explore emerging immunotherapy strategies for GBM treatment.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of normal brain and GBM-associated immune cell populations.
- Review of literature on immune suppression and metabolic reprogramming in GBM.
- Discussion of novel immunotherapeutic approaches and their potential.
Main Results:
- Microglia and TAMs significantly contribute to immune suppression within the GBM microenvironment.
- Tumor-associated energy metabolism plays a crucial role in immune evasion by GBM cells.
- Current immunotherapies face significant challenges in overcoming GBM's immunosuppressive nature.
Conclusions:
- Understanding GBM's immune landscape and metabolic reprogramming is critical for developing effective treatments.
- Harnessing myeloid cell activity, utilizing vaccines, CAR-T/NK cells, oncolytic viruses, and nanocarriers offers new therapeutic avenues.
- Combination therapies hold significant potential for improving outcomes in glioblastoma patients.
