Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: Current Progress and Challenges
Glioblastoma is a highly lethal brain cancer with a median survival rate of less than 15 months when treated with the current standard of care, which consists of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. With the recent success of immunotherapy in other aggressive cancers such as advanced melanoma and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.676301/full |
| _version_ | 1818681394200576000 |
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| author | Miranda W. Yu Miranda W. Yu Daniela F. Quail Daniela F. Quail Daniela F. Quail |
| author_facet | Miranda W. Yu Miranda W. Yu Daniela F. Quail Daniela F. Quail Daniela F. Quail |
| author_sort | Miranda W. Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Glioblastoma is a highly lethal brain cancer with a median survival rate of less than 15 months when treated with the current standard of care, which consists of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. With the recent success of immunotherapy in other aggressive cancers such as advanced melanoma and advanced non-small cell lung cancer, glioblastoma has been brought to the forefront of immunotherapy research. Resistance to therapy has been a major challenge across a multitude of experimental candidates and no immunotherapies have been approved for glioblastoma to-date. Intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity, an inherently immunosuppressive environment and tumor plasticity remain barriers to be overcome. Moreover, the unique tissue-specific interactions between the central nervous system and the peripheral immune system present an additional challenge for immune-based therapies. Nevertheless, there is sufficient evidence that these challenges may be overcome, and immunotherapy continues to be actively pursued in glioblastoma. Herein, we review the primary ongoing immunotherapy candidates for glioblastoma with a focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors, myeloid-targeted therapies, vaccines and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immunotherapies. We further provide insight on mechanisms of resistance and how our understanding of these mechanisms may pave the way for more effective immunotherapeutics against glioblastoma. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:02:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3bd2d72c08d1481d9ed195fd9c6a6c5d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:02:15Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-3bd2d72c08d1481d9ed195fd9c6a6c5d2022-12-21T21:53:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242021-05-011210.3389/fimmu.2021.676301676301Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: Current Progress and ChallengesMiranda W. Yu0Miranda W. Yu1Daniela F. Quail2Daniela F. Quail3Daniela F. Quail4Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, CanadaRosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, CanadaGlioblastoma is a highly lethal brain cancer with a median survival rate of less than 15 months when treated with the current standard of care, which consists of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. With the recent success of immunotherapy in other aggressive cancers such as advanced melanoma and advanced non-small cell lung cancer, glioblastoma has been brought to the forefront of immunotherapy research. Resistance to therapy has been a major challenge across a multitude of experimental candidates and no immunotherapies have been approved for glioblastoma to-date. Intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity, an inherently immunosuppressive environment and tumor plasticity remain barriers to be overcome. Moreover, the unique tissue-specific interactions between the central nervous system and the peripheral immune system present an additional challenge for immune-based therapies. Nevertheless, there is sufficient evidence that these challenges may be overcome, and immunotherapy continues to be actively pursued in glioblastoma. Herein, we review the primary ongoing immunotherapy candidates for glioblastoma with a focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors, myeloid-targeted therapies, vaccines and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immunotherapies. We further provide insight on mechanisms of resistance and how our understanding of these mechanisms may pave the way for more effective immunotherapeutics against glioblastoma.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.676301/fullglioblastomabrain cancerimmunotherapytumor microenvironmentresistance to therapy |
| spellingShingle | Miranda W. Yu Miranda W. Yu Daniela F. Quail Daniela F. Quail Daniela F. Quail Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: Current Progress and Challenges Frontiers in Immunology glioblastoma brain cancer immunotherapy tumor microenvironment resistance to therapy |
| title | Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: Current Progress and Challenges |
| title_full | Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: Current Progress and Challenges |
| title_fullStr | Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: Current Progress and Challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: Current Progress and Challenges |
| title_short | Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: Current Progress and Challenges |
| title_sort | immunotherapy for glioblastoma current progress and challenges |
| topic | glioblastoma brain cancer immunotherapy tumor microenvironment resistance to therapy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.676301/full |
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