Suppression of medulloblastoma by TLR9 activation
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Medulloblastoma is an embryonal tumor of the cerebellum that primarily affects children. In recent years, progress has been made in understanding the pathological, genetic, and molecular heterogeneity of medulloblastoma; however, as solid tumors grow in an extraordinarily complex microenvironment, further research into risk classification, prognosis, and treatment is needed. Multiple factors related to tumor pathophysiology, including the immune system, influence tumor growth and the response to chemotherapy. Toll-like receptor agonists have been used, alone or in combination with conventional treatments, to increase tumor chemosensitivity and prolong survival in cancer patients. However, these aspects remain unexplored in the context of medulloblastoma. The present study aimed to determine the effects of administering the synthetic TLR7 and TLR9 agonists on the development of SHH medulloblastoma. We administered the synthetic oligonucleotide (ODN1826) or resiquimod (R848) intratumorally into established subcutaneous xenografts in immunodeficient nu/nu mice and examined their effects on tumor volume and the expression of markers associated with proliferation, apoptotic cell death, and vascularization. Our results showed that treatment with ODN1826 resulted in a significant reduction in tumor volume, accompanied by decreased Ki67 and CD31 expression in tumor tissue, whereas cleaved caspase-3 expression showed a slight, non-significant increase. These findings support further investigation of TLR9 activation as a potential therapeutic strategy for medulloblastoma.
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,650
Award: G7439096521
OpenAlex ID: W7212034920