Germline Determinants of the Pediatric Tumor Immune Microenvironment

Success has been found using immunotherapy for adult solid tumors, and researchers are working to translate this success to pediatric tumor treatment. Immunotherapy is a promising avenue of treatment for pediatric tumors that uses a patient’s own immune system to attack a tumor. Utilizing immunotherapy in pediatric tumors could lead to improvement in long-term survival without future toxicities. To pursue immunotherapy for pediatric tumors, a better understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment is needed. The tumor microenvironment consists of the immune cells, blood vessels, and various signaling molecules associated with a tumor. This microenvironment can be influenced by genetic variations and pediatric tumors have higher frequencies of such variations. The extent to which patient genetics influence the tumor microenvironment in the pediatric setting remains unknown. A comprehensive study into how patient genetics can influence tumor risk and progression in pediatric patients is needed to push the pursuit of immunotherapy forward. To gain this insight, researchers propose to analyze data provided by the Children’s Brain Tumor Network to profile genes that determine variations in the pediatric tumor immune microenvironment. Understanding the influence such variations have on host tumor immunity and how it differs from adult solid tumors is expected to provide insights that will support adaptation of immunotherapy approaches for the pediatric setting. Researchers will use data provided through the Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas to validate research in addition to information from patients profiled locally by collaborators at Rady’s Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Results will be available through peer reviewed publication and presentations at meetings.