Microglia-Derived Brain Macrophages Associate with Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Tumor Progression Revealed by AI-Assisted Analysis
<b>Background:</b> Malignant gliomas, and notably glioblastoma, are highly aggressive brain tumors. Understanding the mechanisms underlying their progression is crucial for developing more effective treatments. Recent studies have highlighted the role of microglia and brain macrophages i...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Yuqi Zheng Haneya Fuse Islam Alzoubi Manuel B. Graeber |
| author_facet | Yuqi Zheng Haneya Fuse Islam Alzoubi Manuel B. Graeber |
| author_sort | Yuqi Zheng |
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| description | <b>Background:</b> Malignant gliomas, and notably glioblastoma, are highly aggressive brain tumors. Understanding the mechanisms underlying their progression is crucial for developing more effective treatments. Recent studies have highlighted the role of microglia and brain macrophages in glioblastoma development, but the specific interactions between these immune cells and glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) remain unclear. <b>Methods:</b> To address this question, we have utilized AI-assisted cell recognition to investigate the spatial relationship between GSCs expressing high levels of CD276 (B7-H3) and microglia- and bone marrow-derived brain macrophages, respectively. <b>Results:</b> Using PathoFusion, our previously developed open-source AI framework, we were able to map specific immunohistochemical phenotypes at the single-cell level within whole-slide images. This approach enabled us to selectively identify Iba1+ and CD163+ macrophages as well as CD276+ GSCs with high specificity and to study their co-localization. Our analysis suggests a closer association of Iba1+ macrophages with GSCs than between CD163+ macrophages and GSCs in glioblastoma. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our findings provide novel insights into the spatial context of tumor immunity in glioblastoma and point to microglia-GSC interactions as a potential mechanism for tumor progression, especially during diffuse tissue infiltration. These findings have significant implications for our understanding of glioblastoma biology, providing a foundation for a comprehensive analysis of microglia activation phenotypes during glioma development. This, in turn, may lead to new therapeutic strategies targeting the early stages of the immune microenvironment of glioblastoma. |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-362f9c220df14e5a91e4ef2f38f1dd462025-08-20T02:11:22ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092025-03-0114641310.3390/cells14060413Microglia-Derived Brain Macrophages Associate with Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Tumor Progression Revealed by AI-Assisted AnalysisYuqi Zheng0Haneya Fuse1Islam Alzoubi2Manuel B. Graeber3Ken Parker Brain Tumour Research Laboratories, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, AustraliaSchool of Medicine, Sydney Campus, University of Notre Dame, 160 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, AustraliaSchool of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, J12/1 Cleveland St, Darlington, Sydney, NSW 2008, AustraliaKen Parker Brain Tumour Research Laboratories, Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia<b>Background:</b> Malignant gliomas, and notably glioblastoma, are highly aggressive brain tumors. Understanding the mechanisms underlying their progression is crucial for developing more effective treatments. Recent studies have highlighted the role of microglia and brain macrophages in glioblastoma development, but the specific interactions between these immune cells and glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) remain unclear. <b>Methods:</b> To address this question, we have utilized AI-assisted cell recognition to investigate the spatial relationship between GSCs expressing high levels of CD276 (B7-H3) and microglia- and bone marrow-derived brain macrophages, respectively. <b>Results:</b> Using PathoFusion, our previously developed open-source AI framework, we were able to map specific immunohistochemical phenotypes at the single-cell level within whole-slide images. This approach enabled us to selectively identify Iba1+ and CD163+ macrophages as well as CD276+ GSCs with high specificity and to study their co-localization. Our analysis suggests a closer association of Iba1+ macrophages with GSCs than between CD163+ macrophages and GSCs in glioblastoma. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our findings provide novel insights into the spatial context of tumor immunity in glioblastoma and point to microglia-GSC interactions as a potential mechanism for tumor progression, especially during diffuse tissue infiltration. These findings have significant implications for our understanding of glioblastoma biology, providing a foundation for a comprehensive analysis of microglia activation phenotypes during glioma development. This, in turn, may lead to new therapeutic strategies targeting the early stages of the immune microenvironment of glioblastoma.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/6/413Iba1 (AIF1)brain macrophagesCD163glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs)microgliatumor microenvironment |
| spellingShingle | Yuqi Zheng Haneya Fuse Islam Alzoubi Manuel B. Graeber Microglia-Derived Brain Macrophages Associate with Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Tumor Progression Revealed by AI-Assisted Analysis Cells Iba1 (AIF1) brain macrophages CD163 glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) microglia tumor microenvironment |
| title | Microglia-Derived Brain Macrophages Associate with Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Tumor Progression Revealed by AI-Assisted Analysis |
| title_full | Microglia-Derived Brain Macrophages Associate with Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Tumor Progression Revealed by AI-Assisted Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Microglia-Derived Brain Macrophages Associate with Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Tumor Progression Revealed by AI-Assisted Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microglia-Derived Brain Macrophages Associate with Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Tumor Progression Revealed by AI-Assisted Analysis |
| title_short | Microglia-Derived Brain Macrophages Associate with Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Potential Mechanism for Tumor Progression Revealed by AI-Assisted Analysis |
| title_sort | microglia derived brain macrophages associate with glioblastoma stem cells a potential mechanism for tumor progression revealed by ai assisted analysis |
| topic | Iba1 (AIF1) brain macrophages CD163 glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) microglia tumor microenvironment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/6/413 |
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