Tumour-associated macrophage infiltration differs in meningioma genotypes, and is important in tumour dynamics.

BACKGROUND

Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumours, with clinical behaviours ranging from benign to highly aggressive forms. The World Health Organisation classifies meningiomas into various grades, guiding prognosis and treatment. While surgery is effective for low-grade meningiomas, certain grade 1 tumours, as well as grade 2, 3, and recurrent cases are more aggressive and require new therapeutic approaches. Immunotherapy shows promise, with early-stage clinical trials demonstrating encouraging results. The tumour microenvironment (TME), particularly tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), plays a pivotal role in tumour progression. TAMs influence tumour growth, metastasis, and immune evasion. However, their role in meningiomas, especially in relation to genomic mutations, remains poorly understood. Understanding how genetic alterations affect the TME is critical for developing targeted immunotherapies.

METHODS

This study employed multiplex immunohistochemistry and bulk RNA sequencing to explore immune infiltration in genetically stratified meningioma tissues and matched three-dimensional (3D) spheroid models. We compared immune cell populations across parental tissues, two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures, and 3D spheroid models. In addition, co-culture experiments were conducted, introducing M2-polarised macrophages derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells to study the interactions between immune cells and tumour cells.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed significant differences in the immune infiltration patterns associated with specific genotypes and methylation classes, especially M2-like TAMs. Notably, the 3D spheroid models more closely replicated the TME observed in parental tissues compared to traditional 2D monolayer cultures, offering a superior platform for immune infiltration studies. Furthermore, co-culture experiments demonstrated that M2-polarised macrophages could effectively infiltrate tumour cells, promote tumour cell proliferation while inhibiting invasion, suggesting IL-6-mediated signalling in tumour progression.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that 3D co-culture models offer an excellent system for studying the role of immune cells, specifically TAMs, in meningioma progression. By providing a more accurate representation of the TME, these models can help identify novel immunotherapy strategies aimed at modulating the immune response within meningiomas. Ultimately, this approach may improve therapeutic outcomes and quality of life for patients with meningioma by enhancing the effectiveness of existing treatments or by offering new immunotherapeutic options.