Tumor-reactive T helper cells in the context of vaccination against glioma

Vaccine-based immunotherapy and related preclinical models for glioma

Glioma, the most common primary malignant tumor in the central nervous system (CNS), lacks effective treatments, and >60% of cases are glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive form. Despite advances in immunotherapy, GBM remains highly resistant. Approaches that target tumor antigens expedite the development of immunotherapies, including personalized tumor-specific vaccines, patient-specific target selection, dendritic cell (DC) vaccines, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) T cells. Recent studies show promising results in treating GBM and lower-grade glioma (LGG), fostering hope for future immunotherapy. This review discusses tumor vaccines against glioma, preclinical models in immunological research, and the role of CD4+ T cells in vaccine-induced antitumor immunity. We also summarize clinical approaches, challenges, and future research for creating more effective vaccines.

Mannan-Decorated Lipid Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticle Vaccine Increased the Antitumor Immune Response by Modulating the Tumor Microenvironment

With the rapid development of tumor immunotherapy, nanoparticle vaccines have attracted much attention as potential therapeutic strategies. A systematic review and analysis must be carried out to investigate the effect of mannose modification on the immune response to nanoparticles in regulating the tumor microenvironment, as well as to explore its potential clinical application in tumor therapy. Despite the potential advantages of nanoparticle vaccines in immunotherapy, achieving an effective immune response in the tumor microenvironment remains a challenge. Tumor immune escape and the overexpression of immunosuppressive factors limit its clinical application. Therefore, our review explored how to intervene in the immunosuppressive mechanism in the tumor microenvironment through the use of mannan-decorated lipid calcium phosphate nanoparticle vaccines to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with tumors and to provide new ideas and strategies for the field of tumor therapy.

Single cell sequencing revealed the mechanism of CRYAB in glioma and its diagnostic and prognostic value

Background

We explored the characteristics of single-cell differentiation data in glioblastoma and established prognostic markers based on CRYAB to predict the prognosis of glioblastoma patients. Aberrant expression of CRYAB is associated with invasive behavior in various tumors, including glioblastoma. However, the specific role and mechanisms of CRYAB in glioblastoma are still unclear.

Methods

We assessed RNA-seq and microarray data from TCGA and GEO databases, combined with scRNA-seq data on glioma patients from GEO. Utilizing the Seurat R package, we identified distinct survival-related gene clusters in the scRNA-seq data. Prognostic pivotal genes were discovered through single-factor Cox analysis, and a prognostic model was established using LASSO and stepwise regression algorithms. Moreover, we investigated the predictive potential of these genes in the immune microenvironment and their applicability in immunotherapy. Finally, in vitro experiments confirmed the functional significance of the high-risk gene CRYAB.

Results

By analyzing the ScRNA-seq data, we identified 28 cell clusters representing seven cell types. After dimensionality reduction and clustering analysis, we obtained four subpopulations within the oligodendrocyte lineage based on their differentiation trajectory. Using CRYAB as a marker gene for the terminal-stage subpopulation, we found that its expression was associated with poor prognosis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that knocking out CRYAB in U87 and LN229 cells reduced cell viability, proliferation, and invasiveness.

Conclusion

The risk model based on CRYAB holds promise in accurately predicting glioblastoma. A comprehensive study of the specific mechanisms of CRYAB in glioblastoma would contribute to understanding its response to immunotherapy. Targeting the CRYAB gene may be beneficial for glioblastoma patients.