How do Glioblastoma Stem Cells Manipulate the Immune System to Benefit Tumor Growth?

Brain tumors are difficult cancers to treat because of their aggressiveness, intratumoral heterogeneity, and resistance to therapy. Glioblastomas (GBM) are the most aggressive and deadly brain tumors in adults. Although there have been advances in surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the survival rates are still low which highlights the need for different approaches to therapies. Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) initiate growth, drive recurrence, and therapeutic resistance. These cells play an active role in shaping the tumor's immune microenvironment. Here, we will discuss the way GSCs interact and manipulate the immune system in this review article. The suppression of anti-tumor responses, immune evasive signaling, and progression are all key factors in the intensity of GBM. It is important to understand these processes because they can help to inform better and more effective therapies for GBM. This paper reviews the major ways glioblastoma stem cells suppress immune responses, including immune cell reprogramming, epigenetic silencing, and inhibition of immunotherapy.