2. Academic Validation
  3. Human eosinophils exert antitumorigenic effects on chordoma

Human eosinophils exert antitumorigenic effects on chordoma

  • Chin Neurosurg J. 2025 Dec 12;11(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s41016-025-00414-6.
Wang Ying 1 2,  Li Peng 2,  Bai Jingqiao 3,  Xu Lingzhi 4,  Ren Yuan 5,  Liu Pinan # 6 7 8,  Wang Bo # 9 10 11
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
  • 2 Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
  • 3 Clinical Diagnosis Department of Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
  • 4 Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China.
  • 5 Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine,Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
  • 6 Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
  • 7 Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
  • 8 Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.119 South Fourth Ring West Road, Beijing, 100070, P. R. China. [email protected].
  • 9 Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
  • 10 Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
  • 11 Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.119 South Fourth Ring West Road, Beijing, 100070, P. R. China. [email protected].
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 41387915 DOI: 10.1186/s41016-025-00414-6
Abstract

Background: Chordoma is a devastating rare tumor with a poor prognosis, limited therapeutic options and a high recurrence rate. The exploration of novel therapeutic targets has important clinical significance in chordoma diagnosis, treatment, and outcome prediction.

Methods: In this study, chordoma patients with histopathologically verified disease and KI67 proliferation index data were enrolled. The peripheral eosinophil counts of chordoma patients were summarized, the antitumor effects of eosinophils against chordoma cells were investigated using a coculture experiment, and the potential mechanisms were analyzed.

Results: The chordoma patients were classified into two groups according to KI67 proliferation index: 1) ≤ 5% (n = 62), and 2) > 5% (n = 80). The results showed that peripheral eosinophil and tumor-infiltrated eosinophil counts decreased with increased KI67 proliferation index, peripheral eosinophil counts deceased after tumor recurrence, and eosinophils could inhibit chordoma cells proliferation by inducing Apoptosis and secreting inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-2 and IFN-γ); moreover, this apoptotic effect could be reversed by blocking TNF-α.

Conclusions: The current study suggests that eosinophils may be a new target for immunotherapy against chordoma.

Keywords

Apoptosis; Chordoma; Eosinophil; TNFα.

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