title: Principles of immunotherapy.
abstract: Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors of the central nervous system, and carry a grim prognosis. Novel approaches utilizing the immune system as adjuvant therapy are quickly emerging as viable and effective options. Immunotherapeutic strategies being investigated to treat glioblastoma include: vaccination therapy targeted against either specific tumor antigens or whole tumor lysate, adoptive cellular therapy with cytotoxic T lymphocytes, chimeric antigen receptors and bi-specific T-cell engaging antibodies allowing circumvention of major histocompatibility complex restriction, aptamer therapy with aims for more efficient target delivery, and checkpoint blockade in order to release the tumor-mediated inhibition of the immune system. Given the heterogeneity of glioblastoma and its ability to gain mutations throughout the disease course, multifaceted treatment strategies utilizing multiple forms of immunotherapy in combination with conventional therapy will be most likely to succeed moving forward.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Liebelt
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuro-oncology, IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Besta, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Finocchiaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address: aheimber@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Amy B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Heimberger
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005910:Glioma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm
keywords: adoptive cellular therapy; aptamers; bi-specific T-cell engaging antibodies; chimeric antigen receptors; glioblastoma; immune checkpoint; immunology; immunotherapy; malignant brain tumor; vaccine therapy