The burden of oncology promises not kept in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma Cellular Origin and the Firework Pattern of Cancer Genesis from the Subventricular Zone

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a disease without any definite cure. Numerous approaches have been tested in efforts to conquer this brain disease, but patients invariably experience recurrence or develop resistance to treatment. New surgical tools, carefully chosen samples, and experimental methods are enabling discoveries at single-cell resolution. The present article reviews the cell-of-origin of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype GBM, beginning with the historical background for focusing on cellular origin and introducing the cancer genesis patterned on firework. The authors also review mutations associated with the senescence process in cells of the subventricular zone (SVZ), and biological validation of somatic mutations in a mouse SVZ model. Understanding GBM would facilitate research on the origin of other cancers and may catalyze the development of new management approaches or treatments against IDH-wildtype GBM.

Immunotherapy for High Grade Gliomas: A Clinical Update and Practical Considerations for Neurosurgeons

The current standard of care for patients with high grade gliomas includes surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation; but even still the majority of patients experience disease progression and succumb to their illness within a few years of diagnosis. Immunotherapy, which stimulates an anti-tumor immune response, has been revolutionary in the treatment of some hematological and solid malignancies, generating substantial excitement for its potential for patients with glioblastoma. The most commonly used immunotherapies include dendritic cell and peptide vaccines, checkpoint inhibitors, and adoptive T cell therapy. However, to date, the preclinical success of these approaches against high-grade glioma models has not been replicated in human clinical trials. Moreover, the complex response to these biologically active treatments can complicate management decisions, and the neurosurgical oncology community needs to be actively involved in and up to date on the use of these agents in high grade glioma patients. In this review, we discuss the challenges immunotherapy faces for high grade gliomas, the completed and ongoing clinical trials for the major immunotherapies, and the nuances in management for patients being actively treated with one of these agents.