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Eisemann T, Wechsler-Reya RJ. Coming in from the cold: overcoming the hostile immune microenvironment of medulloblastoma. Genes Dev 2022; 36:514-532. [PMID: 35680424 PMCID: PMC9186392 DOI: 10.1101/gad.349538.122] [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] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor that occurs predominantly in children. Despite intensive therapy, many patients die of the disease, and novel therapies are desperately needed. Although immunotherapy has shown promise in many cancers, the low mutational burden, limited infiltration of immune effector cells, and immune-suppressive microenvironment of medulloblastoma have led to the assumption that it is unlikely to respond to immunotherapy. However, emerging evidence is challenging this view. Here we review recent preclinical and clinical studies that have identified mechanisms of immune evasion in medulloblastoma, and highlight possible therapeutic interventions that may give new hope to medulloblastoma patients and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Eisemann
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Robert J Wechsler-Reya
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92161, USA
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2
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Gonçalves FG, Viaene AN, Vossough A. Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pediatric Glioblastomas. Front Neurol 2021; 12:733323. [PMID: 34858308 PMCID: PMC8631300 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.733323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The shortly upcoming 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System is bringing extensive changes in the terminology of diffuse high-grade gliomas (DHGGs). Previously "glioblastoma," as a descriptive entity, could have been applied to classify some tumors from the family of pediatric or adult DHGGs. However, now the term "glioblastoma" has been divested and is no longer applied to tumors in the family of pediatric types of DHGGs. As an entity, glioblastoma remains, however, in the family of adult types of diffuse gliomas under the insignia of "glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype." Of note, glioblastomas still can be detected in children when glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype is found in this population, despite being much more common in adults. Despite the separation from the family of pediatric types of DHGGs, what was previously labeled as "pediatric glioblastomas" still remains with novel labels and as new entities. As a result of advances in molecular biology, most of the previously called "pediatric glioblastomas" are now classified in one of the four family members of pediatric types of DHGGs. In this review, the term glioblastoma is still apocryphally employed mainly due to its historical relevance and the paucity of recent literature dealing with the recently described new entities. Therefore, "glioblastoma" is used here as an umbrella term in the attempt to encompass multiple entities such as astrocytoma, IDH-mutant (grade 4); glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype; diffuse hemispheric glioma, H3 G34-mutant; diffuse pediatric-type high-grade glioma, H3-wildtype and IDH-wildtype; and high grade infant-type hemispheric glioma. Glioblastomas are highly aggressive neoplasms. They may arise anywhere in the developing central nervous system, including the spinal cord. Signs and symptoms are non-specific, typically of short duration, and usually derived from increased intracranial pressure or seizure. Localized symptoms may also occur. The standard of care of "pediatric glioblastomas" is not well-established, typically composed of surgery with maximal safe tumor resection. Subsequent chemoradiation is recommended if the patient is older than 3 years. If younger than 3 years, surgery is followed by chemotherapy. In general, "pediatric glioblastomas" also have a poor prognosis despite surgery and adjuvant therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice for the evaluation of glioblastomas. In addition to the typical conventional MRI features, i.e., highly heterogeneous invasive masses with indistinct borders, mass effect on surrounding structures, and a variable degree of enhancement, the lesions may show restricted diffusion in the solid components, hemorrhage, and increased perfusion, reflecting increased vascularity and angiogenesis. In addition, magnetic resonance spectroscopy has proven helpful in pre- and postsurgical evaluation. Lastly, we will refer to new MRI techniques, which have already been applied in evaluating adult glioblastomas, with promising results, yet not widely utilized in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrício Guimarães Gonçalves
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Angela N Viaene
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Arastoo Vossough
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Fangusaro J, Cefalo MG, Garré ML, Marshall LV, Massimino M, Benettaib B, Biserna N, Poon J, Quan J, Conlin E, Lewandowski J, Simcock M, Jeste N, Hargrave DR, Doz F, Warren KE. Phase 2 Study of Pomalidomide (CC-4047) Monotherapy for Children and Young Adults With Recurrent or Progressive Primary Brain Tumors. Front Oncol 2021; 11:660892. [PMID: 34168987 PMCID: PMC8218626 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.660892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Treatment of recurrent primary pediatric brain tumors remains a major challenge, with most children succumbing to their disease. We conducted a prospective phase 2 study investigating the safety and efficacy of pomalidomide (POM) in children and young adults with recurrent and progressive primary brain tumors. Methods Patients with recurrent and progressive high-grade glioma (HGG), diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), ependymoma, or medulloblastoma received POM 2.6 mg/m2/day (the recommended phase 2 dose [RP2D]) on days 1-21 of a 28-day cycle. A Simon's Optimal 2-stage design was used to determine efficacy. Primary endpoints included objective response (OR) and long-term stable disease (LTSD) rates. Secondary endpoints included duration of response, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results 46 patients were evaluable for response (HGG, n = 19; DIPG, ependymoma, and medulloblastoma, n = 9 each). Two patients with HGG achieved OR or LTSD (10.5% [95% CI, 1.3%-33.1%]; 1 partial response and 1 LTSD) and 1 patient with ependymoma had LTSD (11.1% [95% CI, 0.3%-48.2%]). There were no ORs or LTSD in the DIPG or medulloblastoma cohorts. The median PFS for patients with HGG, DIPG, ependymoma, and medulloblastoma was 7.86, 11.29, 8.43, and 8.43 weeks, respectively. Median OS was 5.06, 3.78, 12.02, and 11.60 months, respectively. Neutropenia was the most common grade 3/4 adverse event. Conclusions Treatment with POM monotherapy did not meet the primary measure of success in any cohort. Future studies are needed to evaluate if POM would show efficacy in tumors with specific molecular signatures or in combination with other anticancer agents. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03257631; EudraCT, identifier 2016-002903-25.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Fangusaro
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Aflac Cancer Center at Emory University Medical School, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Maria Giuseppina Cefalo
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lynley V Marshall
- Children and Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maura Massimino
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Noha Biserna
- Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | | | - Jackie Quan
- Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Erin Conlin
- Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | | | | | - Neelum Jeste
- Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Darren R Hargrave
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, United Kingdom
| | - François Doz
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Institut Curie and University of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Katherine E Warren
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Abedalthagafi M, Mobark N, Al-Rashed M, AlHarbi M. Epigenomics and immunotherapeutic advances in pediatric brain tumors. NPJ Precis Oncol 2021; 5:34. [PMID: 33931704 PMCID: PMC8087701 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-021-00173-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain tumors are the leading cause of childhood cancer-related deaths. Similar to adult brain tumors, pediatric brain tumors are classified based on histopathological evaluations. However, pediatric brain tumors are often histologically inconsistent with adult brain tumors. Recent research findings from molecular genetic analyses have revealed molecular and genetic changes in pediatric tumors that are necessary for appropriate classification to avoid misdiagnosis, the development of treatment modalities, and the clinical management of tumors. As many of the molecular-based therapies developed from clinical trials on adults are not always effective against pediatric brain tumors, recent advances have improved our understanding of the molecular profiles of pediatric brain tumors and have led to novel epigenetic and immunotherapeutic treatment approaches currently being evaluated in clinical trials. In this review, we focus on primary malignant brain tumors in children and genetic, epigenetic, and molecular characteristics that differentiate them from brain tumors in adults. The comparison of pediatric and adult brain tumors highlights the need for treatments designed specifically for pediatric brain tumors. We also discuss the advancements in novel molecularly targeted drugs and how they are being integrated with standard therapy to improve the classification and outcomes of pediatric brain tumors in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malak Abedalthagafi
- Genomics Research Department, Saudi Human Genome Project, King Fahad Medical City and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Nahla Mobark
- Department of Paediatric Oncology Comprehensive Cancer Centre, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - May Al-Rashed
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Chair of Medical and Molecular Genetics Research, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Musa AlHarbi
- Department of Paediatric Oncology Comprehensive Cancer Centre, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Cytokines in Pediatric Pilocytic Astrocytomas: A Clinico-Pathological Study. NEUROSCI 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/neurosci2010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pilocytic astrocytomas (PCA) are WHO Grade I tumors with a favorable prognosis. Surgical resection is usually curative. Nonetheless, progressive and/or metastatic disease occurs in 20% of patients. For these patients, treatment options are limited. The role of the immune system in PCA has not previously been reported. We hypothesize that the circulating cytokines contribute to tumorigenicity in PCA. This is an exploratory study with a focus on the identification of circulating cerebrospinal (CSF) cytokines associated with PCA. The primary objective is to demonstrate that CSF cytokines will be differentially expressed in the subset of PCAs that are difficult to treat in comparison to their surgically amendable counterparts. This is a single-institution, retrospective study of prospectively collected data. Patients with a confirmed histological diagnosis of PCA who have simultaneous intraoperative CSF sampling are included. Cerebrospinal fluid samples are subjected to multiplex cytokine profiling. Patient-derived PCA lines from selected patients in the same study cohort are cultured. Their cell culture supernatants are collected and interrogated using the sample multiplex platform as the CSF. A total of 8 patients are recruited. There were two patients with surgically difficult tumors associated with leptomeningeal involvement. Multiplex profiling of the cohort’s CSF samples showed elevated expressions of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-12p70, IL-1β, IL-4, and TNF-α in these two patients in comparison to the remaining cohort. Next, primary cell lines derived from the same PCA patients demonstrated a similar trend of differential cytokine expression in their cell culture supernatant in vitro. Although our findings are preliminary at this stage, this is the first study in pediatric PCAs that show cytokine expression differences between the two groups of PCA with different clinical behaviors.
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Abstract
Both the onset of various malignancies as well as the treatment of cancer can lead to neurologic symptoms which can be difficult to diagnose. In this review, we highlight the varied ways in which neurologic sequelae of cancer and its treatment manifest in children. Initial neurologic presentation may be secondary to mass effect or to immune-mediated paraneoplastic syndromes. Treatment effects on the nervous system may arise from surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or bone marrow transplantation. In addition, the rapidly expanding field of immunotherapies for cancer has generated numerous new approaches to eradicating cancer including monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells), which have neurologic side effects mediated by immune responses that are also being recognized. Here we review common consult questions to the neurologist and our general approach to these scenarios including altered mental status, headaches, seizures, and sensorimotor complaints, considering the multifactorial nature of each.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caren Armstrong
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 200 N Wolfe St Suite 2158, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Lisa R Sun
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 200 N Wolfe St Suite 2158, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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