Glioblastoma is the most common and lethal type of tumor of the central nervous system, with an average survival of 15 months after first diagnosis. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been largely investigated for their ability to harness the immune system to combat tumors. However, their efficacy varies a lot depending on tumor type. In glioblastoma, PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy has been explored in various studies; however, the unique immunosuppressive environment in the brain and the presence of the blood–brain barrier as well as the large intratumoral heterogeneity have limited its efficacy considerably. In order to improve the clinical efficacy of ICIs, it is important to delve into the different factors affecting the response rate in GBM. Herewith, we summarize the most common causes of resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy as well as possible ways of enhancing its efficacy, particularly through combination with other therapeutic agents in the preclinical and clinical setting. Furthermore, we provide an insight into the most promising methods for modulating the blood–brain barrier, as well as the growing role of molecular imaging and radiogenomics in this field.
胶质母细胞瘤是中枢神经系统中最常见且致死率最高的肿瘤类型,首次确诊后平均生存期仅为15个月。免疫检查点抑制剂因其能够调动免疫系统对抗肿瘤而受到广泛研究,但其疗效在不同肿瘤类型中存在显著差异。在胶质母细胞瘤治疗中,PD-1/PD-L1免疫疗法已通过多项研究进行探索,然而大脑独特的免疫抑制环境、血脑屏障的存在以及肿瘤内部的高度异质性,均显著限制了该疗法的有效性。为提高免疫检查点抑制剂的临床疗效,深入探究影响胶质母细胞瘤治疗反应率的各种因素至关重要。本文系统总结了抗PD-1/PD-L1免疫疗法耐药性的主要成因,以及在临床前和临床研究中通过联合其他治疗手段提升疗效的潜在策略。同时,我们深入探讨了调控血脑屏障最具前景的方法,并分析了分子影像学与放射基因组学在该领域日益重要的作用。
Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma: A Focus on PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors