The team from the University of Medicine, Royal College of Surgery, Ireland (RCSI) found that glioblastomas can be divided into three categories based on the different types of non-cancerous cells found around the tumor. They have different levels of immune cells and vascular cells.

Brain Tumors: Towards More Personalized Treatments

To date, the majority of glioblastoma patients receive similar treatment. According to the researchers involved in the work published in the journal Annals of OncologyIdentifying the 3 subtypes of this brain cancer based on the cells in its immediate environment may lead to the implementation of more precise treatments.

Glioblastoma patients currently have a poor prognosis due to limited treatment options, so the development of new treatments is imperative. Targeted treatment or ‘precision medicine’ (also known as personalized medicine) has the potential to improve outcomes for these patients. We hope that further analysis of the tumor subtypes identified in this research will provide the data needed to support future glioblastoma clinical trials in Ireland.Pr Annette Byrne, lead author of the article explains.

Glioblastoma: a quantitative target of immune cells

According to the researchers, patients with high levels of immune cells in the immediate tumor environment may benefit from specific immune-targeted treatments (immunotherapies).

“An evaluation of glioblastoma clinical trial datasets by this research group supported this idea, showing that patients with this tumor subtype had better outcomes when treated with immunotherapies than other subtypes.”Researchers say