Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal form of primary brain tumor in human adults. The impact of tumor-intrinsic alterations is not exclusively confined to cancer cells but can also be extended to the tumor microenvironment (TME). Glioblastoma-associated macrophages/microglia (GAMs) are a prominent type of immune cells that account for up to 50% of total cells in GBM. Emerging evidence suggests that context-dependent GBM–GAM symbiotic interactions are pivotal for tumor growth and progression. Here, we discuss how specific genetic alterations in GBM cells affect GAM biology and, reciprocally, how GAMs support GBM progression. We hypothesize that understanding context-dependent GBM–GAM symbiosis may reveal the molecular basis of GBM tumorigenesis and lead to novel candidate treatment approaches aiming to improve GBM patient outcomes.

胶质母细胞瘤 (GBM) 是人类成人原发性脑肿瘤的一种致命形式。肿瘤内在改变的影响不仅限于癌细胞，还可以扩展到肿瘤微环境（TME）。胶质母细胞瘤相关巨噬细胞/小胶质细胞 (GAM) 是一种突出的免疫细胞类型，占 GBM 总细胞的 50%。新出现的证据表明，依赖于环境的 GBM-GAM 共生相互作用对于肿瘤的生长和进展至关重要。在这里，我们讨论了 GBM 细胞中特定的遗传改变如何影响 GAM 生物学，以及 GAM 如何支持 GBM 进展。我们假设了解上下文相关的 GBM-GAM 共生关系可能揭示 GBM 肿瘤发生的分子基础，并导致旨在改善 GBM 患者预后的新型候选治疗方法。