Patient-specific glioblastoma tumor antigens (GBM-TAA) (GBM-TAA)

Patient-specific glioblastoma tumor antigens are a heterogeneous collection of peptides derived from a patient's own tumor cells, encompassing both neoantigens and overexpressed tumor-associated antigens [Liau et al., 2023]. These antigens serve as the primary targets for personalized immunotherapy, specifically designed to address the significant inter-patient and intra-tumoral heterogeneity characteristic of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) [NCI, 2024]. In therapeutic applications, these antigens are typically extracted from autologous tumor lysates and loaded onto the patient's own dendritic cells (DCs) ex vivo [Northwest Biotherapeutics, 2023]. The resulting DC vaccine acts as a vehicle to present these antigens to the host immune system, facilitating the activation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) and helper T-cells [PubMed, 2022]. Once activated, these T-cells cross the blood-brain barrier to identify and destroy glioblastoma cells that display the corresponding antigenic signatures [StatPearls, 2023]. This mechanism of action is utilized by therapies like DCVax-L, which has shown efficacy in extending survival for patients with both newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM [Liau et al., 2023]. The use of a full tumor lysate ensures that the immune system is primed against a broad array of targets, reducing the likelihood of tumor escape through antigen loss [Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2018]. Clinical monitoring often involves assessing the immune response through T-cell infiltration and cytokine production within the tumor microenvironment [Nature Communications, 2021].

Other names

Autologous tumor lysatePersonalized glioblastoma antigensGBM neoantigensPatient-specific GBM antigens

Autologous dendritic cells are pulsed with patient-specific tumor antigens to prime the immune system to recognize and destroy glioblastoma cells.