Comparision of PBMC from PTEN loss and WT glioblastoma patients

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal type of brain tumor that is resistant to immunotherapy. Genetic profiling studies have indicated that the tumorigenesis of GBM is linked to somatic genomic alterations in key driver genes, such as TP53, PTEN, CDKN2A, RB1, EGFR, and NF1. These genes regulate critical pathways related to cell growth and resistance to immunotherapy, including the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). One reason for resistance to ICI therapy may be the presence of immunosuppressive myeloid cells, including macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). We conducted an unbiased analysis to identify specific genetic alterations in GBM cells that may influence MDSC biology and contribute to resistance against immunotherapy. Overall design: PBMCs were collected from patients with PTEN wild-type (WT) and PTEN loss GBM. The EasySep™ Dead Cell Removal (Annexin V) Kit (STEMCELL, # 7899) was used to eliminate dead cells from each PBMC sample. A total of 9 PBMC samples from PTEN WT and PTEN loss GBM patients were analyzed. Barcoding, library preparation, and sequencing were performed and analyzed by the NUSeq Core at Northwestern University.