title: Immune heterogeneity of glioblastoma subtypes: extrapolation from the cancer genome atlas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The molecular heterogeneity of glioblastoma has been well recognized and has resulted in the generation of molecularly defined subtypes. These subtypes (classical, neural, mesenchymal, and proneural) are associated with particular signaling pathways and differential patient survival. Less understood is the correlation between these glioblastoma subtypes with immune system effector responses, immune suppression and tumor-associated and tumor-specific antigens. The role of the immune system is becoming increasingly relevant to treatment as new agents are being developed to target mediators of tumor-induced immune suppression which is well documented in glioblastoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  To ascertain the association of antigen expression, immune suppression, and effector response genes within glioblastoma subtypes, we analyzed the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) glioblastoma database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found an enrichment of genes within the mesenchymal subtype that are reflective of anti-tumor proinflammatory responses, including both adaptive and innate immunity and immune suppression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that distinct glioma antigens and immune genes demonstrate differential expression between glioblastoma subtypes and this may influence responses to immune therapeutic strategies in patients depending on the subtype of glioblastoma they harbor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doucette
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.
authors.forename: Ganesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aldape
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dziurzynski
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030.
authors.forename: Amy B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Heimberger
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000276:immunology; D015894:Genome, Human; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000235:genetics; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: glioblastoma; immune activation; immune suppression; tumor antigens