Immune phenotyping of diverse syngeneic murine brain tumors identifies immunologically distinct types

Nat Commun. 2020 Aug 6;11(1):3912. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-17704-5.

Abstract

Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach to treat cancer, however, its efficacy in highly malignant brain-tumors, glioblastomas (GBM), is limited. Here, we generate distinct imageable syngeneic mouse GBM-tumor models and utilize RNA-sequencing, CyTOF and correlative immunohistochemistry to assess immune-profiles in these models. We identify immunologically-inert and -active syngeneic-tumor types and show that inert tumors have an immune-suppressive phenotype with numerous exhausted CD8 T cells and resident macrophages; fewer eosinophils and SiglecF+ macrophages. To mimic the clinical-settings of first line of GBM-treatment, we show that tumor-resection invigorates an anti-tumor response via increasing T cells, activated microglia and SiglecF+ macrophages and decreasing resident macrophages. A comparative CyTOF analysis of resected-tumor samples from GBM-patients and mouse GBM-tumors show stark similarities in one of the mouse GBM-tumors tested. These findings guide informed choices for use of GBM models for immunotherapeutic interventions and offer a potential to facilitate immune-therapies in GBM patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / immunology
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / therapy
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Glioblastoma / immunology*
  • Glioblastoma / pathology
  • Glioblastoma / therapy
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Immunotherapy
  • Isografts
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / classification
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / immunology
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / immunology
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / therapy
  • Tumor Microenvironment / immunology