Research advances on the immune research and prospect of immunotherapy in pituitary adenomas

Abstract

Background Pituitary adenomas are one type of intracranial tumor, which can be divided into microadenoma (≤ 1 cm), macroadenoma (> 1 cm), and giant adenoma (≥ 4 cm) according to their diametral sizes. They are benign, typically slow-progressing, whereas the biological behavior of some of them is invasive, which presents a major clinical challenge. Treatment of some pituitary adenomas is still difficult due to drug resistance or multiple relapses, usually after surgery, medication, and radiation. At present, no clear prediction and treatment biomarkers have been found in pituitary adenomas and some of them do not cause clinical symptoms, so patients are often found to be ill through physical examination, and some are even found through autopsy. With the development of research on pituitary adenomas, the immune response has become a hot spot and may serve as a novel disease marker and therapeutic target. The distribution and function of immune cells and their secreted molecules in pituitary adenomas are extremely complex. Researchers found that infiltration of immune cells may have a positive effect on the treatment and prognosis of pituitary adenomas. In this review, we summarized the advance of tumor immunity in pituitary adenomas, revealing the immunity molecules as potential biomarkers as well as therapeutic agents for pituitary adenomas. Conclusion The immune studies related to pituitary adenomas may help us find relevant immune markers. At the same time, the exploration of immunotherapy also provides new options for the treatment of pituitary adenomas.

Editorial: Refractory Pituitary Adenoma—Current Challenges and Emerging Treatments

“…Although targeted therapies such as anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signal pathway have also been used to treat refractory PAs and PCs, effectiveness of these targeted therapies is still largely unknown due to a lack of data from preclinical research and clinical trials (7,8). Cancer immunotherapy is also a promising treatment option for refractory PAs and PCs, but more basic research and clinical trials are needed to further verify its efficacy (Dai et al,9).…”

“…Cancer immunotherapy is also a promising treatment option for refractory PAs and PCs, but more basic research and clinical trials are needed to further verify its efficacy ( Dai et al. , 9 ).…”

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Neuroendocrine Tumors

“…Pituitary tumors are considered as a subtype of NETs and the potential for the utility of ICI in the treatment of these tumors have recently gained some interest [89][90][91]. While most pituitary 10…”

Immune Checkpoints: Therapeutic Targets for Pituitary Tumors

“…Different immune checkpoints work together to regulate the immune system, which is a double-edged sword, and in physiological situations, these checkpoints are usually responsible for maintaining the immune response within the required physiological range and protecting the host from autoimmunity. In the presence of a tumor, immune checkpoints may be used to inhibit the activation of T cells, thereby preventing T cells from damaging tumor cells and eventually leading to tumor proliferation or migration [ 10 – 12 ] ( Figure 1 ). Thus, targeted immune checkpoint therapy is a new hot spot in tumor immunotherapy.…”

“…In the case of pituitary tumors, with the further study of its immune microenvironment, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors may be the next effective choice for the treatment of refractory pituitary tumors or even pituitary cancer. [ 10 ]. Therefore, this review article introduces the current research progress of different immune checkpoints and discusses their application prospects in pituitary tumors.…”