Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40471422›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuro-oncology2025

IDO2-AhR axis as central regulator of the kynurenine pathway in glioblastoma.

Arnaud Jacquerie, Amanda Macamo, Ann Hoeben, Daniëlle B P Eekers, Alida A Postma, Maxime Vanmechelen, Frederik De Smet, Linda Ackermans, Monique Anten, Maikel Verduin and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuro-oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Arnaud JacquerieDepartment of Pathology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands. arnaud.jacquerie@mumc.nl.
Amanda MacamoDepartment of Pathology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Ann HoebenDepartment of Medical Oncology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Daniëlle B P EekersDepartment of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Alida A PostmaDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Mental Health and Neuroscience research institute, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Maxime VanmechelenLaboratory for Precision Cancer Medicine, Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Frederik De SmetLaboratory for Precision Cancer Medicine, Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Linda AckermansDepartment of Neurosurgery, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Monique AntenDepartment of Neurology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Maikel VerduinDepartment of Medical Oncology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Kim SeverensDepartment of Pathology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Axel Zur HausenDepartment of Pathology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Jan BeckervordersandforthDepartment of Pathology, GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Martinus P G BroenDepartment of Neurosurgery, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeUpregulation of the Kynurenine Pathway (KP) in Glioblastoma (GBM) plays an important role in driving its treatment-resistant immunosuppressive microenvironment. Factors driving this exaggerated pathway remain poorly understood. Our aim was to explore the correlation between key KP markers; IDO1, IDO2, TDO2, its primary effector target aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and a comprehensive set of clinical- and tumour characteristics.

methodsTissue samples from 108 newly diagnosed GBM patients were analyzed for the expression of TDO2, IDO1, IDO2, and AhR using immunohistochemistry and QuPath software. Exploratory analyses were conducted to evaluate correlations between KP marker expression and clinical, radiological, and molecular data.

resultsIDO1 expression was primarily correlated with inflammatory blood markers, while TDO2 was correlated with patient age, gender, smoking habit and medication use. In contrast, AhR and IDO2 demonstrated hardly any correlations with clinical or tumour characteristics. Notably, IDO2 exhibited a strong association with AhR expression and tumour cell density, with no observed correlation between AhR and either IDO1 or TDO2.

conclusionsWe validated the inflammatory influences on IDO1 expression and found that TDO2 was mostly correlated with medication and patient characteristics. We could not confirm IDO1 and TDO2 as most prominent drivers of AhR activity in the KP. However, we found a strong correlation between IDO2-AhR which may be responsible for the sustained and enhanced immunosuppression within the tumour microenvironment. This could explain recent failures of IDO1 and TDO2 antagonists and might redirect future studies to intervene in the kynurenine-AhR-IDO2 axis.

Indexed as

Basic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsBrain NeoplasmsGlioblastomaIndoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-DioxygenaseKynurenineReceptors, Aryl HydrocarbonAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSignal TransductionTryptophan OxygenaseAHR protein, humanBasic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsIDO1 protein, humanIDO2 protein, humanIndoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-DioxygenaseKynurenineReceptors, Aryl HydrocarbonTryptophan OxygenaseAhRGlioblastomaIDOKynurenineTDO2

Identifiers

PMID40471422
PMCPMC12263720

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.