Brain tumor immunotherapy: seeing the brain in the body.

Brain tumor immunotherapy is often interpreted in terms of immune privilege and the blood-brain barrier (BBB), but a broader view is warranted. The delicate regulatory balance of the immune system is relevant at any site, as are the heterogeneity and plasticity of tumor growth. Criteria for tumor antigens, and often the antigens themselves, cut across tumor types.

Monoclonal antibodies in neuro-oncology: Getting past the blood-brain barrier.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are used with increasing success against many tumors but, for brain tumors, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a special concern. The BBB prevents antibody entry to the normal brain; however, its role in brain tumor therapy is more complex. The BBB is closest to normal at micro-tumor sites; its properties and importance change as the tumor grows.

Targeted therapy for neuro-oncology: reviewing the menu.

Targeted therapy against cancer shows not only promise, but also limits. No matter how specific the target, many pathways and cell types can be affected, some unexpectedly. A tumor is heterogeneous and plastic; it can evade a targeting agent or an attack mechanism.

Robust ability of IFN-gamma to upregulate class II MHC antigen expression in tumor bearing rat brains.

T cells are attractive for delivering therapy to brain tumor, especially disseminated micro-tumor. However, to trigger effector function, tumor antigen must be re-presented to T cells, via major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins, at the tumor site. In normal brain, MHC+ antigen-presenting cells (APC) are rare, but abundant after gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) injection.

Brain tumor immunotherapy: an immunologist's perspective.

Key concepts in brain tumor immunotherapy are reviewed. "Immunotherapy" can refer to a fully-developed, tumor-specific immune response, or to its individual cellular or molecular mediators. The immune response is initiated most efficiently in organized lymphoid tissue.