Immunotherapeutic strategies for malignant glioma.
BACKGROUND
Despite advances in surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, only modest improvement has been achieved in the survival of patients with malignant gliomas.


METHODS
The authors review the immunologic aspects of gliomas, potential targets for therapy, and issues surrounding current immunotherapeutic strategies directed against malignant gliomas.


RESULTS
The blood-brain barrier and the purported immunological privilege of the brain are not necessarily insurmountable obstacles to effective immunotherapy for brain tumors. Preclinical studies suggest a number of potential therapeutic avenues. Translational studies offer the prospect of providing substantial new information about immunological trafficking in the nervous system and suggesting the most fruitful approaches to immunotherapy for malignant gliomas.


CONCLUSIONS
More effective adjuvant treatments for malignant gliomas are needed. The applicability of immunological approaches in the treatment of these tumors warrants continued study.
Fenstermaker
Robert A
RA
Department of Neurosurgery, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA. robert.fenstermaker@roswellpark.org
Ciesielski
Michael J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000276:immunology; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D018773:Genes, erbB-1; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009154:Mutation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor