Combination of tumor antigen drainage and immune activation to promote a cancer-immunity cycle against glioblastoma

• Published in: Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 2024-12, Vol.81 (1), p.275, Article 275
• Main Authors: Xu, Han, Zhao, Xiaomei, Luo, Jincai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antigens; Antigens, Neoplasm - immunology; Antigens, Neoplasm - metabolism; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain Neoplasms - immunology; Brain Neoplasms - pathology; Brain Neoplasms - therapy; Cancer; Cancer immunotherapy; Cell Biology; Central nervous system; Chemotherapy; Glioblastoma; Glioblastoma - immunology; Glioblastoma - pathology; Glioblastoma - therapy; Glioma; Humans; Immune privilege; Immune response; Immune system; Immunity; Immunity (Disease); Immunosurveillance; Immunotherapy; Life Sciences; Lymphatic drainage; Lymphatic system; Lymphatic Vessels - immunology; Lymphatic Vessels - pathology; Radiation therapy; Review; Tumor cells; Tumor Microenvironment - immunology; Tumors; Wound drainage
• ISSN: 1420-682X; 1420-9071; 1420-9071
• DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05300-5

While conventional cancer modalities, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, act through direct killing of tumor cells, cancer immunotherapy elicits potent anti-tumor immune responses thereby eliminating tumors. Nevertheless, promising outcomes have not been reported in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) likely due to the immune privileged status of the central nervous system and immunosuppressive micro-environment within GBM. In the past years, several exciting findings, such as the re-discovery of meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs), three-dimensional anatomical reconstruction of MLV networks, and the demonstration of the promotion of GBM immunosurveillance by lymphatic drainage enhancement, have revealed an intricate communication between the nervous and immune systems, and brought hope for the development of new GBM treatment. Based on conceptual framework of the updated cancer-immunity (CI) cycle, here we focus on GBM antigen drainage and immune activation, the early events in driving the CI cycle. We also discuss the implications of these findings for developing new therapeutic approaches in tackling fatal GBM in the future.