Tumor Associated Neutrophils Extend NETs To Spatially Drive Necroptosis In Glioblastoma

Background: Glioblastoma is pathologically characterized by extensive pseudopalisading necrosis, a hallmark linked to therapeutic resistance and dismal prognosis. While traditionally viewed as a passive ischemic event, the precise radiogenomic drivers and spatial immune architectures orchestrating active tumor necrosis remain poorly understood. Methods: We integrated macroscopic clinical MRI radiomics with public genomic datasets (n=3,639), single-cell spatial transcriptomics, and high-resolution protein immunofluorescence (IF) assays in a novel co-mutant murine model to map the necrotic microenvironment. Results: Radiomic analysis of patient MRIs demonstrated that high tumoral necrotic volume serves as a powerful independent biomarker for poor long-term survival. This macro-structural necrosis phenotype is radiogenomically driven by cell-intrinsic TP53, PTEN, and NF1 (PPN) co-mutations. Spatial transcriptomic profiling of PPN-deficient tumors revealed distinct cellular topography, separating a proliferative, invasive niche (EGFR+ SOX+, Type Inv ) from a hyper-aggressive necrotic niche (ERBB3+, Type Nec ). Mechanistically, TypeNec cells deploy a prominent CCL5/CXCL2 chemokine milieu that actively recruits and prompts tumor-associated neutrophils to undergo neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation. This overactive neutrophil infiltrate drives a feed-forward loop of intrinsic tumor necroptosis mediated by the release of the damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) protein HMGB2. This cascade could be therapeutically dismantled using targeted anti-inflammatory compounds. Finally, multi-cohort clinical validation confirmed that an HMGB2 high signature dictates a high-risk, myeloid-rich immunosuppressive microenvironment in glioblastoma patients. Conclusions: Our findings redefine glioblastoma necrosis as an active, mutation-driven immunopathological process. The HMGB2-mediated DAMP necroptosis cascade and associated myeloid chemokines provide robust prognostic biomarkers and immediate therapeutic vulnerabilities to disrupt the immunosuppressive necrotic niche.

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Publication Details

Journal
medRxiv
Published
2026-10-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.25.26366446
Primary Topic
Glioma Diagnosis and Treatment
Type
preprint
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preprint

Tumor Associated Neutrophils Extend NETs To Spatially Drive Necroptosis In Glioblastoma

Sharon R. Pine, Prasanna Kumar Vaddi, Brent T. Harris, Schuyler Lee et al.
4 links
medRxiv
Glioma Diagnosis and Treatment
preprint

Tumor Associated Neutrophils Extend NETs To Spatially Drive Necroptosis In Glioblastoma

Sharon R. Pine, Prasanna Kumar Vaddi, Brent T. Harris, Schuyler Lee, Hatem E. Sabaawy, Adrie van Bokhoven, Steven Ingersoll, Yonghua Zhuang, Bifeng Gao, Liqiong Liu
preprint en

Abstract

Background: Glioblastoma is pathologically characterized by extensive pseudopalisading necrosis, a hallmark linked to therapeutic resistance and dismal prognosis. While traditionally viewed as a passive ischemic event, the precise radiogenomic drivers and spatial immune architectures orchestrating active tumor necrosis remain poorly understood. Methods: We integrated macroscopic clinical MRI radiomics with public genomic datasets (n=3,639), single-cell spatial transcriptomics, and high-resolution protein immunofluorescence (IF) assays in a novel co-mutant murine model to map the necrotic microenvironment. Results: Radiomic analysis of patient MRIs demonstrated that high tumoral necrotic volume serves as a powerful independent biomarker for poor long-term survival. This macro-structural necrosis phenotype is radiogenomically driven by cell-intrinsic TP53, PTEN, and NF1 (PPN) co-mutations. Spatial transcriptomic profiling of PPN-deficient tumors revealed distinct cellular topography, separating a proliferative, invasive niche (EGFR+ SOX+, Type Inv ) from a hyper-aggressive necrotic niche (ERBB3+, Type Nec ). Mechanistically, TypeNec cells deploy a prominent CCL5/CXCL2 chemokine milieu that actively recruits and prompts tumor-associated neutrophils to undergo neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation. This overactive neutrophil infiltrate drives a feed-forward loop of intrinsic tumor necroptosis mediated by the release of the damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) protein HMGB2. This cascade could be therapeutically dismantled using targeted anti-inflammatory compounds. Finally, multi-cohort clinical validation confirmed that an HMGB2 high signature dictates a high-risk, myeloid-rich immunosuppressive microenvironment in glioblastoma patients. Conclusions: Our findings redefine glioblastoma necrosis as an active, mutation-driven immunopathological process. The HMGB2-mediated DAMP necroptosis cascade and associated myeloid chemokines provide robust prognostic biomarkers and immediate therapeutic vulnerabilities to disrupt the immunosuppressive necrotic niche.

medRxiv
University of Colorado Denver (US)
Good health and well-being
Glioma Diagnosis and Treatment
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