Immunotherapy for primary brain tumors: no longer a matter of privilege.
Journal Article (Editorial;Review)
Immunotherapy for cancer continues to gain both momentum and legitimacy as a rational mode of therapy and a vital treatment component in the emerging era of personalized medicine. Gliomas, and their most malignant form, glioblastoma, remain as a particularly devastating solid tumor for which standard treatment options proffer only modest efficacy and target specificity. Immunotherapy would seem a well-suited choice to address such deficiencies given both the modest inherent immunogenicity of gliomas and the strong desire for treatment specificity within the confines of the toxicity-averse normal brain. This review highlights the caveats and challenges to immunotherapy for primary brain tumors, as well as reviewing modalities that are currently used or are undergoing active investigation. Tumor immunosuppressive countermeasures, peculiarities of central nervous system immune access, and opportunities for rational treatment design are discussed.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Fecci, PE; Heimberger, AB; Sampson, JH
Published Date
- November 15, 2014
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 20 / 22
Start / End Page
- 5620 - 5629
PubMed ID
- 25398845
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC4235630
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1557-3265
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-14-0832
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States