Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-13-2023

Identifier

DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.09.001

Abstract

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is an aggressive brain stem tumor and the leading cause of pediatric cancer-related death. To date, these tumors remain incurable, underscoring the need for efficacious therapies. In this study, we demonstrate that the immune checkpoint TIM-3 (HAVCR2) is highly expressed in both tumor cells and microenvironmental cells, mainly microglia and macrophages, in DIPG. We show that inhibition of TIM-3 in syngeneic models of DIPG prolongs survival and produces long-term survivors free of disease that harbor immune memory. This antitumor effect is driven by the direct effect of TIM-3 inhibition in tumor cells, the coordinated action of several immune cell populations, and the secretion of chemokines/cytokines that create a proinflammatory tumor microenvironment favoring a potent antitumor immune response. This work uncovers TIM-3 as a bona fide target in DIPG and supports its clinical translation.

Journal Title

Cancer cell

Volume

41

Issue

11

First Page

1911

Last Page

1926

Keywords

DIPG; DMGs; TIM-3; diffuse midline glioma; immune checkpoint; immunotherapy; macrophages; microglia; pediatric brain tumor; tumor microenvironment

Comments

This article is available under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC license and permits non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Publisher's Link: https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(23)00318-5

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