The tumor micro-environment in pediatric glioma: friend or foe?

Frontiers in Immunology

Immunology

Julie Messiaen¹  Sandra A. Jacobs²  Frederik De Smet³ 

[1] Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;Laboratory for Precision Cancer Medicine, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;Pediatric Oncology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;Laboratory for Precision Cancer Medicine, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;

关键词: pediatric glioma;    tumor micro-environment;    T-cells;    myeloid cells;    immunotherapy;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fimmu.2023.1227126

 received in 2023-05-22, accepted in 2023-09-27,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Brain tumors are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality related to cancer in children, where high-grade glioma harbor the worst prognosis. It has become obvious that pediatric glioma differs significantly from their adult counterparts, rendering extrapolations difficult. Curative options for several types of glioma are lacking, albeit ongoing research efforts and clinical trials. As already proven in the past, inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity plays an important role in the resistance to therapy and thus implicates morbidity and mortality for these patients. However, while less studied, the tumor micro-environment (TME) adds another level of heterogeneity. Knowledge gaps exist on how the TME interacts with the tumor cells and how the location of the various cell types in the TME influences tumor growth and the response to treatment. Some studies identified the presence of several (immune) cell types as prognostic factors, but often lack a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms, possibly leading to contradictory findings. Although the TME in pediatric glioma is regarded as “cold”, several treatment options are emerging, with the TME being the primary target of treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to study the TME of pediatric glioma, so that the interactions between TME, tumoral cells and therapeutics can be better understood before, during and after treatment. In this review, we provide an overview of the available insights into the composition and role of the TME across different types of pediatric glioma. Moreover, where possible, we provide a framework on how a particular TME may influence responses to conventional- and/or immunotherapy.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Messiaen, Jacobs and De Smet

【 图 表 】

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