Evaluating the NFPp10a/NF5310 glioblastoma model as a faithful avatar for screening tumour microenvironment–targeted therapies

Despite positive outcomes for novel targeted therapy screens in preclinical studies, the majority of follow on GBM clinical trials fail to meet their primary endpoints. This translational gap is partly due to models that do not accurately recapitulate the human GBM-TME and therefore fail to accurately predict patient treatment response. Here, we investigated the NFPp10a/NF5310 syngeneic mouse model of mesenchymal GBM, to assess its translational relevance for evaluating TME-targeting agents. Young and aging C57BL/6 mice bearing orthotopic NFPp10a/NF5310-Luc2 tumours underwent treatment with temozolomide (TMZ), tumour resection, anti-PD1 checkpoint blockade, and/or regorafenib (REGO). TME composition was evaluated using the murine microenvironment cell population (mMCP) counter method and multiplexed immunohistochemistry (multiple iterative labelling by antibody neodeposition). To assess translational relevance and conserved human response patterns, immune cell composition and gene expression changes were directly compared to primary human mesenchymal GBM tumours via further hypothesis generating MILAN analysis and by studying publically available ICI clinical trial data. NFPp10a/NF5310-Luc2 tumour-bearing mice showed resistance to monotherapy and neoadjuvant anti-PD1, with limited response also observed to REGO treatment. mMCP analysis revealed modest increases in CD8+ T-cells, B cells, and monocytes following anti-PD1 and REGO treatment. MILAN analysis further indicated increased cytotoxic T-cells following anti-PD1 therapy. Comparison to untreated-primary GBM and ICI-treated human GBM suggested similar exhausted CD8+ T-cell phenotypes, suggesting the NFPp10a/NF5310 TME reflects the mesenchymal GBM T-cell compartment. Overall, the NFPp10a/NF5310 model recapitulates the GBM-TME architecture and therapeutic resistance patterns observed in human GBM, supporting its use in evaluating select TME-targeting therapies. The NFPp10a/NF5310 glioblastoma model demonstrates clinically relevant response patterns and key tumour microenvironment features of mesenchymal glioblastoma, supporting its utility as a translational platform for therapeutic development.

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Journal
Communications Biology
Published
2026-09-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10874-w
Primary Topic
Neurofibromatosis and Schwannoma Cases
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Evaluating the NFPp10a/NF5310 glioblastoma model as a faithful avatar for screening tumour microenvironment–targeted therapies

Ioannis Ntafoulis, James Clerkin, Laure Marignol, Maïté Verreault et al.
Communications Biology
Neurofibromatosis and Schwannoma Cases
article

Evaluating the NFPp10a/NF5310 glioblastoma model as a faithful avatar for screening tumour microenvironment–targeted therapies

Ioannis Ntafoulis, James Clerkin, Laure Marignol, Maïté Verreault, Emie Quissac, Gonca Dilcan, Alice C. O’Farrell, Martine L.M. Lamfers, Steve MacNally, Kate Connor, Frederik De Smet, Gautam Shankar, Philip J. O’Halloran, Orna Bacon, Francesca Lodi, Patrick Dicker, Jack P. Gleeson, Manuela Salvucci, Kieron White, Jochen H.M. Prehn, Johan M. Kros, Stephen G. Maher, Sieger Leenstra, Diether Lambrechts, Annette T. Byrne, Thomas Van Brussel, Federica Fabro, Liam P. Shiels, Archita Biswas, Mohannad Dabbour, Kieron Sweeney, Jane Cryan, Ingrid Arijs, Ahmed Idbaih, Franck Bielle, Joana Beyer, Suzanne Murphy, David O’Brien, Alan Beausang, Christopher Van Hessche, Francesca Brett, Evin M. Haworth
article en

Abstract

Despite positive outcomes for novel targeted therapy screens in preclinical studies, the majority of follow on GBM clinical trials fail to meet their primary endpoints. This translational gap is partly due to models that do not accurately recapitulate the human GBM-TME and therefore fail to accurately predict patient treatment response. Here, we investigated the NFPp10a/NF5310 syngeneic mouse model of mesenchymal GBM, to assess its translational relevance for evaluating TME-targeting agents. Young and aging C57BL/6 mice bearing orthotopic NFPp10a/NF5310-Luc2 tumours underwent treatment with temozolomide (TMZ), tumour resection, anti-PD1 checkpoint blockade, and/or regorafenib (REGO). TME composition was evaluated using the murine microenvironment cell population (mMCP) counter method and multiplexed immunohistochemistry (multiple iterative labelling by antibody neodeposition). To assess translational relevance and conserved human response patterns, immune cell composition and gene expression changes were directly compared to primary human mesenchymal GBM tumours via further hypothesis generating MILAN analysis and by studying publically available ICI clinical trial data. NFPp10a/NF5310-Luc2 tumour-bearing mice showed resistance to monotherapy and neoadjuvant anti-PD1, with limited response also observed to REGO treatment. mMCP analysis revealed modest increases in CD8+ T-cells, B cells, and monocytes following anti-PD1 and REGO treatment. MILAN analysis further indicated increased cytotoxic T-cells following anti-PD1 therapy. Comparison to untreated-primary GBM and ICI-treated human GBM suggested similar exhausted CD8+ T-cell phenotypes, suggesting the NFPp10a/NF5310 TME reflects the mesenchymal GBM T-cell compartment. Overall, the NFPp10a/NF5310 model recapitulates the GBM-TME architecture and therapeutic resistance patterns observed in human GBM, supporting its use in evaluating select TME-targeting therapies. The NFPp10a/NF5310 glioblastoma model demonstrates clinically relevant response patterns and key tumour microenvironment features of mesenchymal glioblastoma, supporting its utility as a translational platform for therapeutic development.

Communications Biology
University College Dublin (IE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (IE), Inserm (FR), Trinity College Dublin (IE), University College Cork (IE), Netherlands Bioinformatics Centre (NL), Beaumont Hospital (IE), Cork University Hospital (IE), Sorbonne Université (FR), VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology (BE), Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR), Rotterdam Stroke Service (NL), Erasmus MC Cancer Institute (NL), Institut du Cerveau (FR), St. James's Hospital (IE)
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, European Commission, Science Foundation Ireland, KU Leuven, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Neurofibromatosis and Schwannoma Cases
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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