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Ntenti C, Lallas K, Papazisis G. Clinical, Histological, and Molecular Prognostic Factors in Childhood Medulloblastoma: Where Do We Stand? Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13111915. [PMID: 37296767 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13111915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastomas, highly aggressive neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS) that present significant heterogeneity in clinical presentation, disease course, and treatment outcomes, are common in childhood. Moreover, patients who survive may be diagnosed with subsequent malignancies during their life or could develop treatment-related medical conditions. Genetic and transcriptomic studies have classified MBs into four subgroups: wingless type (WNT), Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), Group 3, and Group 4, with distinct histological and molecular profiles. However, recent molecular findings resulted in the WHO updating their guidelines and stratifying medulloblastomas into further molecular subgroups, changing the clinical stratification and treatment management. In this review, we discuss most of the histological, clinical, and molecular prognostic factors, as well the feasibility of their application, for better characterization, prognostication, and treatment of medulloblastomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charikleia Ntenti
- First Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Lallas
- Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgios Papazisis
- Clinical Research Unit, Special Unit for Biomedical Research and Education (BRESU), School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Yao B, Delaidelli A, Vogel H, Sorensen PH. Pediatric Brain Tumours: Lessons from the Immune Microenvironment. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:5024-5046. [PMID: 37232837 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30050379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In spite of recent advances in tumour molecular subtyping, pediatric brain tumours (PBTs) remain the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children. While some PBTs are treatable with favourable outcomes, recurrent and metastatic disease for certain types of PBTs remains challenging and is often fatal. Tumour immunotherapy has emerged as a hopeful avenue for the treatment of childhood tumours, and recent immunotherapy efforts have been directed towards PBTs. This strategy has the potential to combat otherwise incurable PBTs, while minimizing off-target effects and long-term sequelae. As the infiltration and activation states of immune cells, including tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and tumour-associated macrophages, are key to shaping responses towards immunotherapy, this review explores the immune landscape of the developing brain and discusses the tumour immune microenvironments of common PBTs, with hopes of conferring insights that may inform future treatment design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty Yao
- Department of Molecular Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Alberto Delaidelli
- Department of Molecular Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Hannes Vogel
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Poul H Sorensen
- Department of Molecular Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Liu Y, Xiao B, Li S, Liu J. Risk Factors for Survival in Patients With Medulloblastoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:827054. [PMID: 35311074 PMCID: PMC8927734 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.827054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Conventional parameters show limited and unreliable correlations with medulloblastoma prognosis. Aim To evaluate the factors influencing overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with medulloblastoma. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for studies published up to May 2021. The associations between various clinical and treatment factors and survival parameters were assessed. Results Twenty-nine studies (8455 patients) were included. Desmoplastic medulloblastoma (HR=0.41, 95%CI: 0.31-0.56), M0 disease (HR=2.07, 95%CI: 1.48-2.89), WNT, SSH, group 4 (all P<0.05 vs. group 3), GTR vs. STR (HR=1.37, 95%CI: 1.04-1.08), radiotherapy (HR=0.45, 95%CI: 0.20-0.80), craniospinal irradiation (HR=0.49, 95%CI: 0.38-0.64), and high 5hmC levels (HR=2.90, 95%CI: 1.85-4.55) were associated with a better OS. WNT, SSH, group 4 (all P<0.05 vs. group 3), residual tumor ≤1.5 cm2 (HR=2.08, 95%CI: 1.18-3.68), GTR vs. STR (HR=1.31, 95%CI: 1.03-1.68), craniospinal irradiation (HR=0.46, 95%CI: 0.37-0.57), high 5hmC levels (HR=3.10, 95%CI: 2.01-4.76), and <49 days between resection and radiotherapy (HR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.48-4.37) were associated with better PFS. Classic vs. desmoplastic medulloblastoma (HR=1.81, 95%CI: 1.04-3.16), SSH, WNT (both P<0.05 vs, non-SSH/non-WNT), GTR vs. STR (HR=2.01, 95%CI: 1.42-2.85), and radiotherapy (HR=0.31, 95%CI: 0.15-0.64) were associated with a better EFS. Conclusion Histology, molecular subgroup, GTR, and radiotherapy are significantly associated with survival parameters in patients with medulloblastoma. Nevertheless, high-quality prospective cohort studies are necessary to improve the conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jiangang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Zhu S, Cheng Z, Hu Y, Chen Z, Zhang J, Ke C, Yang Q, Lin F, Chen Y, Wang J. Prognostic Value of the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index and Prognostic Nutritional Index in Patients With Medulloblastoma Undergoing Surgical Resection. Front Nutr 2022; 8:754958. [PMID: 34977115 PMCID: PMC8718683 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.754958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The progression and metastasis of cancers are associated with systematic immune inflammation and nutritional dysfunction. The systemic immune-inflammation index and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) have shown a prognostic impact in several malignancies. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate immune inflammation and nutritional index prognostic significance in patients with medulloblastoma (MB). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 111 patients with MB between 2001 and 2021 at our institution. The optimal cutoff values for systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte/lymphocyte counts ration (MLR), and PNI were evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Clinical characteristics and SII, NLR, MLR, and PNI were tested with the Pearson's chi-squared test. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the effects of immune inflammation and nutritional index on overall survival (OS). Results: Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis determined the optimal SII, NLR, MLR, and PNI cutoff values of 2,278, 14.83, 0.219, and 56.5 that significantly interacts with OS and divided the patients into two groups. Comparative survival analysis exhibited that the high-SII cohort had significantly shorter OS (p = 0.0048) than the low-SII cohort. For the univariate analysis, the results revealed that preoperative hydrocephalus (p = 0.01), SII (p = 0.006), albumin–bilirubin score (ALBI) (p = 0.04), and coSII–PNI were predictors of OS. In the multivariate analysis, preoperative hydrocephalus (p < 0.001), ALBI (p = 0.010), SII (p < 0.001), and coSII–PNI as independent prognostic factors were significantly correlated with OS. Conclusion: The preoperative SII, ALBI, and coSII–PNI serve as robust prognostic biomarkers for patients with MB undergoing surgical resection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihan Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhuqing Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanjun Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenghe Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ji Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao Ke
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qunying Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fuhua Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yinsheng Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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Hsieh CH, Tsai CH, Liu HT, Hsieh TM, Huang CY, Chou SE, Su WT, Li C, Hsu SY. Change of neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio to stratify the mortality risk of adult patients with trauma in the intensive care units. FORMOSAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/fjs.fjs_88_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Zhang J, Wang T. Immune cell landscape and immunotherapy of medulloblastoma. Pediatr Investig 2021; 5:299-309. [PMID: 34938973 PMCID: PMC8666938 DOI: 10.1002/ped4.12261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma is the most common primary pediatric malignancy of the central nervous system. Recurrent and refractory patients account for approximately 30% of them. Immune cells are an important component of the brain tumor microenvironment, including tumor-associated macrophages, T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils and B lymphocytes. Understanding how they behave and interact is important in the investigation of the onset and progression of medulloblastoma. Here, we overview the features and recent advances of each component of immune cells in medulloblastoma. Meanwhile, immunotherapy is a promising but also challenging treatment strategy for medulloblastoma. At present, there are a growing number of immunotherapeutic approaches under investigation including immune checkpoint inhibitors, oncolytic viruses, cancer vaccines, chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies, and natural killer cells in recurrent and refractory medulloblastoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- Department of PediatricsBeijing Shijitan HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
- Hematology Oncology CenterBeijing Children’s HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Tianyou Wang
- Hematology Oncology CenterBeijing Children’s HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
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Association of Platelets and White Blood Cells Subtypes with Trauma Patients' Mortality Outcome in the Intensive Care Unit. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9080942. [PMID: 34442077 PMCID: PMC8391175 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9080942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: White blood cell (WBC) subtypes have been suggested to reflect patients’ immune-inflammatory status. Furthermore, the derived ratio of platelets and WBC subtypes, including monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), is proposed to be associated with patient outcome. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the association of platelets and white blood cells subtypes with the mortality outcome of trauma patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Method: The medical information from 2854 adult trauma patients admitted to the ICU between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019 were retrospectively retrieved from the Trauma Registry System and classified into two groups: the survivors group (n = 2524) and the death group (n = 330). The levels of monocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, and blood-drawn laboratory data detected upon patient arrival to the emergency room and the derived MLR, NLR, and PLR were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent effects of univariate predictive variables on mortality occurrence. Result: The results revealed the patients who died had significantly lower platelet counts (175,842 ± 61,713 vs. 206,890 ± 69,006/μL, p < 0.001) but higher levels of lymphocytes (2458 ± 1940 vs. 1971 ± 1453/μL, p < 0.001) than the surviving patients. However, monocyte and neutrophil levels were not significantly different between the death and survivor groups. Moreover, dead patients had a significantly lower PLR than survivors (124.3 ± 110.3 vs. 150.6 ± 106.5, p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in MLR or NLR between the dead patients and the survivors. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that male gender, old age, pre-existing hypertension, coronary artery disease and end-stage renal disease, lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), higher Injury Severity Score (ISS), higher level of lymphocytes and lower level of red blood cells and platelets, longer activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and lower level of PLR were independent risk factors associated with higher odds of trauma patient mortality outcome in the ICU. Conclusion: This study revealed that a higher lymphocyte count, lower platelet count, and a lower PLR were associated with higher risk of death in ICU trauma patients.
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Yan J, Liu L, Wang W, Zhao Y, Li KKW, Li K, Wang L, Yuan B, Geng H, Zhang S, Liu Z, Duan W, Zhan Y, Pei D, Zhao H, Sun T, Sun C, Wang W, Hong X, Wang X, Guo Y, Li W, Cheng J, Liu X, Ng HK, Li Z, Zhang Z. Radiomic Features From Multi-Parameter MRI Combined With Clinical Parameters Predict Molecular Subgroups in Patients With Medulloblastoma. Front Oncol 2020; 10:558162. [PMID: 33117690 PMCID: PMC7566191 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.558162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2016 WHO classification of central nervous system tumors has included four molecular subgroups under medulloblastoma (MB) as sonic hedgehog (SHH), wingless (WNT), Grade 3, and Group 4. We aimed to develop machine learning models for predicting MB molecular subgroups based on multi-parameter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics, tumor locations, and clinical factors. A total of 122 MB patients were enrolled retrospectively. After selecting robust, non-redundant, and relevant features from 5,529 extracted radiomics features, a random forest model was constructed based on a training cohort (n = 92) and evaluated on a testing cohort (n = 30). By combining radiographic features and clinical parameters, two combined prediction models were also built. The subgroup can be classified using an 11-feature radiomics model with a high area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8264 for WNT and modest AUCs of 0.6683, 0.6004, and 0.6979 for SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 in the testing cohort, respectively. Incorporating location and hydrocephalus into the radiomics model resulted in improved AUCs of 0.8403 and 0.8317 for WNT and SHH, respectively. After adding gender and age, the AUCs for WNT and SHH were further improved to 0.9097 and 0.8654, while the accuracies were 70 and 86.67% for Group 3 and Group 4, respectively. Prediction performance was excellent for WNT and SHH, while that for Group 3 and Group 4 needs further improvements. Machine learning algorithms offer potentials to non-invasively predict the molecular subgroups of MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yan
- Department of MRI, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weiwei Wang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuanshen Zhao
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kay Ka-Wai Li
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Binke Yuan
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haiyang Geng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Shenghai Zhang
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenchao Duan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yunbo Zhan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Dongling Pei
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Haibiao Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chen Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenqing Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xuanke Hong
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiangxiang Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yu Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wencai Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Department of MRI, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xianzhi Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ho-Keung Ng
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhicheng Li
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Kabir TF, Kunos CA, Villano JL, Chauhan A. Immunotherapy for Medulloblastoma: Current Perspectives. Immunotargets Ther 2020; 9:57-77. [PMID: 32368525 PMCID: PMC7182450 DOI: 10.2147/itt.s198162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immune-mediated therapies have transformed the treatment of metastatic melanoma and renal, bladder, and both small and non-small cell lung carcinomas. However, immunotherapy is yet to demonstrate dramatic results in brain tumors like medulloblastoma for a variety of reasons. Recent pre-clinical and early phase human trials provide encouraging results that may overcome the challenges of central nervous system (CNS) tumors, which include the intrinsic immunosuppressive properties of these cancers, a lack of antigen targets, antigenic variability, and the immune-restrictive site of the CNS. These studies highlight the growing potential of immunotherapy to treat patients with medulloblastoma, a disease that is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality to children and young adults. Methods We conducted an inclusive review of the PubMed-indexed literature and studies listed in clinicaltrials.gov using combinations of the keywords medulloblastoma, immunotherapy, CNS tumors, brain tumors, vaccines, oncolytic virus, natural killer, and CAR T to identify trials evaluating immunotherapy in preclinical experiments or in patients with medulloblastoma. Given a limited number of investigations using immunotherapy to treat patients with medulloblastoma, 24 studies were selected for final analysis and manuscript citation. Results This review presents results from pre-clinical studies in medulloblastoma cell lines, animal models, and the limited trials involving human patients. Conclusion From our review, we suggest that cancer vaccines, oncolytic viral therapy, natural killer cells, and CAR T therapy hold promise against the innate immunosuppressive properties of medulloblastoma in order to prolong survival. There is an unmet need for immunotherapy regimens that target overexpressed antigens in medulloblastoma tumors. We advocate for more combination treatment clinical trials using conventional surgical and radiochemotherapy approaches in the near-term clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanvir F Kabir
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Charles A Kunos
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John L Villano
- Department of Internal Medicine-Medical Oncology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Aman Chauhan
- Department of Internal Medicine-Medical Oncology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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