Immune landscape of isocitrate dehydrogenase stratified human gliomas

Abstract

The brain tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) continuously evolves during glioma progression, but only a limited view of a highly complex glioma associated immune contexture across isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation (IDH) classified gliomas is known. Herein, we present an unprecedentedly comprehensive view of myeloid and lymphoid cell type diversity based on our single cell RNA sequencing and spectral cytometry-based interrogation of tumor-associated leukocytes from fifty-five IDH stratified primary and recurrent human gliomas and three non-glioma brains. Our analyses revealed twenty-two myeloid and lymphoid cell types within and across glioma subtypes. Glioma severity correlated with microglial attrition concomitant with a continuum of invading monocyte-derived microglia-like and macrophages amongst other infiltrating conventional T and NK lymphocytes and unconventional mucosa associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. Specifically, certain microglial and monocyte-derived subpopulations were associated with antigen presentation gene modules, akin to cross-presenting dendritic cells (DCs). Furthermore, we identified phagocytosis and antigen presentation gene modules enriched in Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid (TREM)-2+ cells as a putative anti-glioma axis. Accelerated glioma growth was observed in Trem2 deficient mice implanted with CT2A glioma cells affirming the anti-glioma role of TREM2+ myeloid cells. In addition to providing a comprehensive landscape of glioma-specific immune contexture, our investigations discover TREM2 as a novel immunotherapy target for brain malignancies.

Dissecting the tumor microenvironment of epigenetically driven gliomas: Opportunities for single-cell and spatial multiomics

“… 45 Recently, the largest profiling study to date by Gupta et al characterized the immune cells of 18 gliomas across IDH mutation and recurrence status, and identified a unique subset of metabolically enriched microglia that were restricted to IDH-Mut gliomas. 46 Moreover, they similarly identified a population of TREM2+ myeloid cells and showed in a mouse model that these cells mediate antitumor immunity in glioma, in contrast to the immunosuppressive role of TREM2 reported in other cancers. 46 Perhaps more than for other cellular components of glioma, it is evident that single-cell multiomic analyses are desperately needed for lucid evaluation of the immune compartment.…”

“… 46 Moreover, they similarly identified a population of TREM2+ myeloid cells and showed in a mouse model that these cells mediate antitumor immunity in glioma, in contrast to the immunosuppressive role of TREM2 reported in other cancers. 46 Perhaps more than for other cellular components of glioma, it is evident that single-cell multiomic analyses are desperately needed for lucid evaluation of the immune compartment.…”