The reported new anilinoquinazoline-icosahedral borane hybrids have been evaluated as glioma targeting for potential use in cancer therapy. Their anti-glioma activity depends on hybrids' lipophilicity; the most powerful compound against glioma cells, a 1,7-closo-derivative, displayed at least 3.3 times higher activity than the parent drug erlotinib. According to the cytotoxic effects on normal glia cells, the hybrids were selective for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-overexpressed tumor cells. These boron carriers could be used to enrich glioma cancer cells with boron for cancer therapy.

Tumor-selective drug conjugates can potentially improve the prognosis for patients affected by glioblastoma (GBM) -the most common and malignant type of brain cancer with no effective cure.Here we evaluated a novel tumor penetrating peptide that targets cell surface p32, LinTT1 (AKRGARSTA), as a GBM targeting ligand for systemically-administered nanoparticles. LinTT1-functionalization increased tumor homing of iron oxide nanoworms (NWs) across a panel of five GBM models ranging from infiltratively-disseminating to angiogenic phenotypes. LinTT1-NWs homed to CD31-positive tumor blood vessels, including to transdifferentiated endothelial cells, and showed co-localization with tumor macrophages and lymphatic vessels. LinTT1 functionalization also resulted in increased GBM delivery of other types of systemically-administered nanoparticles: silver nanoparticles and albumin-paclitaxel nanoparticles. Finally, LinTT1-guided proapoptotic NWs exerted strong anti-glioma activity in two models of GBM, including doubling the lifespan of the mice in an aggressive orthotopic stem cell-like GBM that recapitulates the histological hallmarks of human GBM. Our study suggests that LinTT1 targeting strategy can be used to increase GBM uptake of systemic nanoparticles for improved imaging and therapy.

Highlights d R53-induced gliomas present higher recruitment of peripheral immune cells d Neutrophils levels are higher from initiation through progression in R53 tumors d Depletion of neutrophils at initiation stage facilitates tumor growth d Bone marrow-derived neutrophils switch from anti-to protumorigenic phenotype

Glioblastoma is considered one of the most aggressive malignancies in adult and pediatric patients. Despite decades of research no curative treatment is available and it thus remains associated with a very dismal prognosis. Although recent pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the feasibility of chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cell immunotherapeutic approach in glioblastoma, tumor heterogeneity and antigen loss remain among one of the most important challenges to be addressed. In this study, we identify p32/gC1qR/HABP/C1qBP to be specifically expressed on the surface of glioma cells, making it a suitable tumor associated antigen for redirected CAR T cell therapy. We generate p32 CAR T cells and find them to recognize and specifically eliminate p32 expressing glioma cells and tumor derived endothelial cells in vitro and to control tumor growth in orthotopic syngeneic and xenograft mouse models. Thus, p32 CAR T cells may serve as a therapeutic option for glioblastoma patients.