Immune Infiltration in Malignant Gliomas

Abstract Malignant gliomas are one of the most prevalent primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. These aggressive and lethal tumors require rigorous treatment courses of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, as well as surgical intervention. With new forms of therapy being searched for, one possibility being explored is harnessing the body’s intrinsic immune system to stifle tumor growth either directly or indirectly by enhancing the effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Nanoparticles can be utilized to specifically target immune components of the tumor microenvironment and rejuvenate them in an immunotherapy setting. This concept also involves utilizing immune cells, like macrophages, as a vehicle to carry and release nanomedicine, as well as other drugs of interest, to the sites of glioma progression and invasion. This chapter highlights our current understanding of the tumor microenvironment, CNS immune trafficking, and associated chemokine axes in the context of malignant gliomas.