IDH mutational status and the immune system in gliomas: a tale of two tumors?

Gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor and include glioblastoma (GBM), which is the most lethal form of the disease, and remains a significant, unmet clinical need (1). Contrary to conventional notions of central nervous system immune-privilege, there is indeed extensive cross-talk between the immune system and tumors in the brain. Several successful immune therapies are either in development or have received recent approval from the Food and Drug Administration across a broad array of cancers (Table 1). However, the results for immune therapy against solid tumors in the brain have been less dramatic to date.