Microenvironmental clues for glioma immunotherapy

Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2014 Apr;14(4):440. doi: 10.1007/s11910-014-0440-1.

Abstract

Gliomas have been viewed for decades as inaccessible for a meaningful antitumor immune response as they grow in a sanctuary site protected from infiltrating immune cells. Moreover, the glioma microenvironment constitutes a hostile environment for an efficient antitumor immune response as glioma-derived factors such as transforming growth factor β and catabolites of the essential amino acid tryptophan paralyze T-cell function. There is growing evidence from preclinical and clinical studies that a meaningful antitumor immunity exists in glioma patients and that it can be activated by vaccination strategies. As a consequence, the concept of glioma immunotherapy appears to be experiencing a renaissance with the first phase 3 randomized immunotherapy trials entering the clinical arena. On the basis of encouraging results from other tumor entities using immunostimulatory approaches by blocking endogenous T-cell suppressive pathways mediated by cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 or programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death protein 1 ligand 1 with humanized antibodies, there is now a realistic and promising option to combine active immunotherapy with agents blocking the immunosuppressive microenvironment in patients with gliomas to allow a peripheral antitumor immune response induced by vaccination to become effective. Here we review the current clinical and preclinical evidence of antimicroenvironment immunotherapeutic strategies in gliomas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / immunology
  • Brain Neoplasms / immunology
  • Brain Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Glioma / immunology*
  • Glioma / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy*
  • Tumor Microenvironment / physiology*