Microvilli expressed on glioma cells keep cytotoxic cells at a distance

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most frequent primary brain tumor in adults, carries a particularly poor prognosis despite aggressive treatment approaches. A possible explanation for treatment failure resides in the capacity of glioma cells to infiltrate the brain parenchyma and therefore escape surgical removal and radiation exposure. One of the most promising novel strategies in glioma therapy is to use the patient's immune system to attack the tumor. Cytotoxic effector cells are crucial components of the immune system to fight cancers; genetically modified cytotoxic T cells that recognize tumor antigens can destroy cancer cells. Glioma cells, on the other hand, use several strategies to escape this immunological attack. In a recent study, Hoa and colleagues reported that cell surface expression of microvilli protects gliomas from being killed by cytotoxic effector cells.