Biomarkers of immunotherapy in glioblastoma

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain cancer, comprising half of all malignant brain tumors. Patients with GBM have a poor prognosis, with a median survival of 14-15 months. Current therapies for GBM, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical resection, remain inadequate. Novel therapies are required to extend patient survival. Although immunotherapy has shown promise in other cancers, including melanoma and non-small lung cancer, its efficacy in GBM has been limited to subsets of patients. Identifying biomarkers of immunotherapy response in GBM could help stratify patients, identify new therapeutic targets, and develop more effective treatments. This article reviews existing and emerging biomarkers of clinical response to immunotherapy in GBM. The scope of this review includes immune checkpoint inhibitor and antitumoral vaccination approaches, summarizing the variety of molecular, cellular, and computational methodologies that have been explored in the setting of anti-GBM immunotherapies.