The impact of gliomas on the normal brain microenvironment: a pilot study

Gliomas are malignant tumors of neuronal support cells within the central nervous system (CNS) and are characterized by poor overall prognoses and limited treatment options due to their infiltrative growth patterns. The neural tumor microenvironment, composed of benign neurons, neuroglia, endothelial cells, and intravascular white blood cells, is a target-rich site for potential chemotherapeutic agents. This study assessed cell proliferation rates, white blood cell components, and a limited number of nuclear, cytoplasmic, and membrane markers using immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded benign and glial tumor tissue samples from the CNS. It was observed that glioma tissues had increased rates of glial cell proliferation and significant increases in the number of observed T-lymphocytes and granulocytes but decreased expression of markers Somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2), L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM), and GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) when compared to benign tissue samples. Understanding the lack of protein expression and population expansion potential of the glioma microenvironment in greater detail could help identify valuable therapeutic target combinations for future treatments.