Cell-Based Glioma Models for Anticancer Drug Screening: From Conventional Adherent Cell Cultures to Tumor-Specific Three-Dimensional Constructs.

in Cells by Daria Lanskikh, Olga Kuziakova, Ivan Baklanov, Alina Penkova, Veronica Doroshenko, Ivan Buriak, Valeriia Zhmenia, Vadim Kumeiko

TLDR

  • Gliomas are aggressive primary brain tumors with limited treatment options. The study proposes new therapeutic approaches and personalized therapy paradigms to improve treatment outcomes.

Abstract

Gliomas are a group of primary brain tumors characterized by their aggressive nature and resistance to treatment. Infiltration of surrounding normal tissues limits surgical approaches, wide inter- and intratumor heterogeneity hinders the development of universal therapeutics, and the presence of the blood-brain barrier reduces the efficiency of their delivery. As a result, patients diagnosed with gliomas often face a poor prognosis and low survival rates. The spectrum of anti-glioma drugs used in clinical practice is quite narrow. Alkylating agents are often used as first-line therapy, but their effectiveness varies depending on the molecular subtypes of gliomas. This highlights the need for new, more effective therapeutic approaches. Standard drug-screening methods involve the use of two-dimensional cell cultures. However, these models cannot fully replicate the conditions present in real tumors, making it difficult to extrapolate the results to humans. We describe the advantages and disadvantages of existing glioma cell-based models designed to improve the situation and build future prospects to make drug discovery comprehensive and more effective for each patient according to personalized therapy paradigms.

Overview

  • The study focuses on gliomas, a group of aggressive primary brain tumors with limited treatment options.
  • The study aims to explore new therapeutic approaches for gliomas, highlighting the need for more effective treatments and personalized therapy paradigms.
  • The study discusses the limitations of current drug-screening methods, including the use of two-dimensional cell cultures, which cannot fully replicate real tumor conditions.

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • The study compares existing glioma cell-based models, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages in improving drug discovery and treatment outcomes.
  • The study identifies the limitations of standard drug-screening methods and discusses how they can be improved using advanced models that better replicate real tumor conditions.
  • The study concludes that more effective therapeutic approaches are needed for gliomas, and that personalized therapy paradigms may hold promise for improving patient outcomes.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The study suggests that personalized therapy paradigms may be a promising approach for improving treatment outcomes for glioma patients.
  • The study highlights the need for continued research into new therapeutic approaches and improved drug-screening methods to better address the challenges of glioma treatment.
  • The study proposes the development of more advanced glioma cell-based models that better replicate real tumor conditions to improve drug discovery and treatment outcomes.