Translational landscape of glioblastoma immunotherapy for physicians: guiding clinical practice with basic scientific evidence

Abstract

Despite recent advances in cancer therapeutics, glioblastoma (GBM) remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat in both the primary and recurrent settings. GBM presents a unique therapeutic challenge given the immune-privileged environment of the brain and the aggressive nature of the disease. Furthermore, it can change phenotypes throughout the course of disease-switching between mesenchymal, neural, and classic gene signatures, each with specific markers and mechanisms of resistance. Recent advancements in the field of immunotherapy-which utilizes strategies to reenergize or alter the immune system to target cancer-have shown striking results in patients with many types of malignancy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cellular therapy, cellular and peptide vaccines, and other technologies provide clinicians with a vast array of tools to design highly individualized treatment and potential for combination strategies. There are currently over 80 active clinical trials evaluating immunotherapies for GBM, often in combination with standard secondary treatment options including re-resection and anti-angiogenic agents, such as bevacizumab. This review will provide a clinically focused overview of the immune environment present in GBM, which is frequently immunosuppressive and characterized by M2 macrophages, T cell exhaustion, enhanced transforming growth factor-β signaling, and others. We will also outline existing immunotherapeutic strategies, with a special focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor therapy, and dendritic cell vaccines. Finally, we will summarize key discoveries in the field and discuss currently active clinical trials, including combination strategies, burgeoning technology like nucleic acid and nanoparticle therapy, and novel anticancer vaccines. This review aims to provide the most updated summary of the field of immunotherapy for GBM and offer both historical perspective and future directions to help inform clinical practice.

Keywords: CAR-T cells; Dendritic cell vaccines; Glioblastoma; Immune checkpoint inhibitors; Immuno-oncology; Immunotherapy; Peptide vaccines; Tumor microenvironment.

Fig. 1

Visual representation of the immune escape mechanisms of glioblastoma. Utilizing a combination of glioma stem cell actions, cytokine and molecular signaling, and direct cell–cell interactions, the tumor cells are able to evade immune cells and continue their proliferation. Figure made and published via paid subscription to Biorender.com

Fig. 2

Visual representation of various available immunotherapies that have been studied in glioblastoma. Figure made and published via paid subscription to Biorender.com