Piperlongumine conquers temozolomide chemoradiotherapy resistance to achieve immune cure in refractory glioblastoma via boosting oxidative stress-inflamation-CD8(+)-T cell immunity

BACKGROUND: The failure of novel therapies effective in preclinical animal models largely reflects the fact that current models do not really mimic the pathological/therapeutic features of glioblastoma (GBM), in which the most effective temozolomide chemoradiotherapy (RT/TMZ) regimen can only slightly extend survival. How to improve RT/TMZ efficacy remains a major challenge in clinic. METHODS: Syngeneic G422(TN)-GBM model mice were subject to RT/TMZ, surgery, piperlongumine (PL), αPD1, glutathione. Metabolomics or transcriptomics data from G422(TN)-GBM and human GBM were used for gene enrichment analysis and estimation of ROS generation/scavenging balance, oxidative stress damage, inflammation and immune cell infiltration. Overall survival, bioluminescent imaging, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining were used to examine therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms of action. RESULTS: Here we identified that glutathione metabolism was most significantly altered in metabolomics analysis upon RT/TMZ therapies in a truly refractory and reliable mouse triple-negative GBM (G422(TN)) preclinical model. Consistently, ROS generators/scavengers were highly dysregulated in both G422(TN)-tumor and human GBM. The ROS-inducer PL synergized surgery/TMZ, surgery/RT/TMZ or RT/TMZ to achieve long-term survival (LTS) in G422(TN)-mice, but only one LTS-mouse from RT/TMZ/PL therapy passed the rechallenging phase (immune cure). Furthermore, the immunotherapy of RT/TMZ/PL plus anti-PD-1 antibody (αPD1) doubled LTS (50%) and immune-cured (25%) mice. Glutathione completely abolished PL-synergistic effects. Mechanistically, ROS reduction was associated with RT/TMZ-resistance. PL restored ROS level (mainly via reversing Duox2/Gpx2), activated oxidative stress/inflammation/immune responses signature genes, reduced cancer cell proliferation/invasion, increased apoptosis and CD3(+)/CD4(+)/CD8(+) T-lymphocytes in G422(TN)-tumor on the basis of RT/TMZ regimen. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that PL reverses RT/TMZ-reduced ROS and synergistically resets tumor microenvironment to cure GBM. RT/TMZ/PL or RT/TMZ/PL/αPD1 exacts effective immune cure in refractory GBM, deserving a priority for clinical trials. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-023-02686-1.