Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

The Tumor Microenvironment

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...

Tumor Immunotherapy

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Epigenetic mechanisms of inflammatory memory in the central nervous system.

Nature immunology·2026

Same author

Glial cells in chronic inflammation: diversity, dysfunction and therapeutic targeting.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026

Same author

Astrocyte Functional Heterogeneity in Multiple Sclerosis.

Journal of clinical neurology (Seoul, Korea)·2026

Same author

A transcriptomic microglia taxonomy across mouse and human pathologies.

Nature immunology·2026

Same author

Author Correction: Retargeted oncolytic viruses engineered to remodel the tumor microenvironment for glioblastoma immunotherapy.

Nature cancer·2026

Same author

Astrocyte Biology in CNS Inflammatory Diseases: A Clinical-Translational Perspective.

Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Published on: November 28, 2015

Astrocyte-driven immunosuppression in the brain tumor microenvironment.

Camilo Faust Akl^1,2, Francisco J Quintana^3,4,5

¹Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Nature Immunology

|April 23, 2026

Summary

Reactive astrocytes in brain tumors create an immunosuppressive environment, hindering immunotherapy. Understanding astrocyte reprogramming is key to developing effective brain tumor treatments.

More Related Videos

Quantitative Immunohistochemistry of the Cellular Microenvironment in Patient Glioblastoma Resections

Quantitative Immunohistochemistry of the Cellular Microenvironment in Patient Glioblastoma Resections

Published on: July 31, 2017

Coculture Assays to Study Macrophage and Microglia Stimulation of Glioblastoma Invasion

Coculture Assays to Study Macrophage and Microglia Stimulation of Glioblastoma Invasion

Published on: October 20, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Analysis of Glioma-infiltrating Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Published on: November 28, 2015

Quantitative Immunohistochemistry of the Cellular Microenvironment in Patient Glioblastoma Resections

Quantitative Immunohistochemistry of the Cellular Microenvironment in Patient Glioblastoma Resections

Published on: July 31, 2017

Coculture Assays to Study Macrophage and Microglia Stimulation of Glioblastoma Invasion

Coculture Assays to Study Macrophage and Microglia Stimulation of Glioblastoma Invasion

Published on: October 20, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuro-oncology
Cancer immunology
Tumor microenvironment

Background:

Brain tumors, including glioblastoma and brain metastases, are highly lethal cancers.
Current immunotherapies show limited success due to the tumor microenvironment's immunosuppressive nature.
Astrocytes, key glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS), play a significant role in regulating immune responses within the brain.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the role of astrocytes in shaping brain tumor immunity.
To examine how tumor-derived signals reprogram astrocytes.
To explore strategies for modulating astrocyte responses to improve immunotherapy outcomes.

Main Methods:

Literature review of astrocyte reprogramming in brain tumors.
Analysis of astrocyte-mediated immunosuppression mechanisms.
Discussion of emerging therapeutic strategies targeting astrocytes.

Main Results:

Reactive astrocytes are reprogrammed by tumor signals, promoting tumor growth and immune evasion.
Astrocytes contribute significantly to local immunosuppression in the CNS tumor microenvironment.
Modulating astrocyte responses presents a promising avenue for enhancing immunotherapy efficacy.

Conclusions:

Targeting astrocyte reprogramming is crucial for overcoming immunotherapy resistance in brain tumors.
Further research into astrocyte-specific modulation could lead to novel therapeutic strategies.
Understanding astrocyte-tumor cell interactions is vital for advancing brain cancer treatment.