G-CSF secreted by mutant IDH1 glioma stem cells abolishes myeloid cell immunosuppression and enhances the efficacy of immunotherapy

Abstract

Mutant isocitrate-dehydrogenase 1 (<i>mIDH1</i>) synthesizes the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), which elicits epigenetic reprogramming of the glioma cells’ transcriptome by inhibiting DNA and histone demethylases. We show that the efficacy of immune-stimulatory gene therapy (TK/Flt3L) is enhanced in <i>mIDH1</i> gliomas, due to the reprogramming of the myeloid cells’ compartment infiltrating the tumor microenvironment (TME). We uncovered that the immature myeloid cells infiltrating the <i>mIDH1</i> TME are mainly nonsuppressive neutrophils and preneutrophils. Myeloid cell reprogramming was triggered by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) secreted by <i>mIDH1</i> glioma stem/progenitor-like cells. Blocking G-CSF in <i>mIDH1</i> glioma–bearing mice restores the inhibitory potential of the tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells, accelerating tumor progression. We demonstrate that G-CSF reprograms bone marrow granulopoiesis, resulting in noninhibitory myeloid cells within <i>mIDH1</i> glioma TME and enhancing the efficacy of immune-stimulatory gene therapy.