Scientific article
OA Policy
English

Targeting HIF-2α in glioblastoma reshapes the immune infiltrate and enhances response to immune checkpoint blockade

Published inCellular and molecular life sciences, vol. 82, no. 1, 119
Publication date2025-03-17
First online date2025-03-17
Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain tumor with dismal clinical prognosis and resistance to current therapies. GBM progression is facilitated by the tumor microenvironment (TME), with an immune infiltrate dominated by tumor-associated microglia/macrophages (TAMs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs). The TME is also characterized by hypoxia and the expression of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), with HIF-2α emerging as a potential regulator of tumor progression. However, its role in GBM immunosuppression remains unknown. Here, we investigate HIF-2α and the use of the HIF-2α inhibitor PT2385 to modulate the TME in the immunocompetent GL261 mouse GBM model. PT2385 administration in vivo decreased tumor volume and prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice, without affecting GL261 viability in vitro. Notably, HIF-2α inhibition alleviated the immunosuppressive TME and synergized with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) using αPD-1 and αTIM-3 antibodies to promote long-term survival. Comprehensive analysis of the immune infiltrate through single-cell RNA sequencing and flow cytometry revealed that combining PT2385 with ICB reduced numbers of pro-tumoral macrophages and Tregs while increasing numbers of microglia, with a corresponding transcriptional modulation towards an anti-tumoral profile of these TAMs. In vitro, deletion of HIF-2α in microglia impeded their polarization towards a pro-tumoral M2-like profile, and its inhibition impaired Treg migration. Our results show that targeting HIF-2α can switch an immunosuppressive TME towards one that favors a robust and sustained response to ICB based immunotherapy. These findings establish that clinically relevant HIF-2α inhibitors should be explored not only in malignancies with defects in the HIF-2α axis, but also in those exhibiting an immunosuppressive TME that limits immunotherapy responsiveness.

Keywords
  • Brain tumors
  • Glioma
  • HIF-2
  • Hypoxia inducible factor
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors
  • Immunotherapy
  • Microglia
  • Treg
  • Tumor microenvironment
  • Tumor-associated macrophage
  • Glioblastoma / immunology
  • Glioblastoma / pathology
  • Glioblastoma / drug therapy
  • Glioblastoma / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / immunology
  • Mice
  • Tumor Microenvironment / immunology
  • Tumor Microenvironment / drug effects
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Brain Neoplasms / immunology
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Microglia / metabolism
  • Microglia / immunology
  • Microglia / drug effects
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Indans
  • Sulfones
Citation (ISO format)
ESPINOZA ROJAS, Felipe Ignacio et al. Targeting HIF-2α in glioblastoma reshapes the immune infiltrate and enhances response to immune checkpoint blockade. In: Cellular and molecular life sciences, 2025, vol. 82, n° 1, p. 119. doi: 10.1007/s00018-025-05642-8
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
Secondary files (8)
Identifiers
Journal ISSN1420-682X
152views
47downloads

Technical informations

Creation03/18/2025 4:16:38 PM
First validation04/15/2025 8:52:54 AM
Update time04/15/2025 8:52:54 AM
Status update04/15/2025 8:52:54 AM
Last indexation04/15/2025 8:52:56 AM
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack