Glioblastoma is an aggressive and prevalent form of brain cancer characterized by rapid tumor cell migration and invasion into surrounding healthy tissues, making it resistant to conventional treatments. Despite advances in therapeutic approaches, patient prognosis remains poor, with a median survival of approximately 15 months. Tumor cell infiltration along perivascular spaces and white matter tracts is a major driver of recurrence, underscoring the need for experimental models that accurately capture these invasive behaviors. Animal models remain indispensable for this purpose, offering insights that cannot be fully replicated in vitro. This review focuses on applying animal models to elucidate the mechanisms underlying glioblastoma cell migration and invasion, which remain critical to improving therapeutic outcomes. By comparing the advantages of animal models with in vitro systems, we highlight the unique insights animal models provide, particularly in capturing the intricate dynamics of tumor cell motility. In particular, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models preserve patient-specific heterogeneity and invasion patterns, such as white matter tract and perivascular infiltration, enabling clinically relevant drug testing. Zebrafish xenografts provide real-time, high-resolution visualization of tumor-vascular interactions, facilitating rapid assessment of invasion dynamics and early-stage drug screening. Genetically engineered models (GEM) allow precise discrimination of how defined genetic alterations drive specific invasive routes in the brain. Furthermore, we explore the use of advanced imaging techniques in these models to monitor tumor progression in real time. Moreover, we discuss the major drawbacks of these animal models, such as incomplete immune components and tumor microenvironment recapitulation. Ultimately, animal models are essential for bridging the gap between basic research and clinical application, offering a powerful platform for developing targeted strategies to combat glioblastoma’s relentless progression.
胶质母细胞瘤是一种侵袭性强且常见的脑癌，其特点是肿瘤细胞快速迁移并侵入周围健康组织，导致其对常规治疗产生抵抗。尽管治疗方法有所进展，患者预后仍然较差，中位生存期约为15个月。肿瘤细胞沿血管周围间隙和白质束的浸润是复发的主要驱动因素，这凸显了需要能够准确模拟这些侵袭行为的实验模型。动物模型在此方面仍不可或缺，能够提供体外系统无法完全复现的深入见解。本综述重点探讨应用动物模型阐明胶质母细胞瘤细胞迁移和侵袭的机制，这对于改善治疗效果至关重要。通过比较动物模型与体外系统的优势，我们强调了动物模型提供的独特见解，特别是在捕捉肿瘤细胞运动的复杂动态方面。具体而言，患者来源的异种移植（PDX）模型保留了患者特异性的异质性和侵袭模式，如白质束和血管周围浸润，从而支持临床相关的药物测试。斑马鱼异种移植模型能够实时、高分辨率地可视化肿瘤与血管的相互作用，有助于快速评估侵袭动态和早期药物筛选。基因工程模型（GEM）可精确区分特定遗传改变如何驱动大脑中的特定侵袭路径。此外，我们探讨了在这些模型中应用先进成像技术以实时监测肿瘤进展的方法。同时，我们也讨论了这些动物模型的主要缺点，如免疫成分不完全和肿瘤微环境模拟不足。最终，动物模型对于弥合基础研究与临床应用之间的差距至关重要，为开发针对性策略以对抗胶质母细胞瘤的无情进展提供了强大平台。
Choice of Animal Models to Investigate Cell Migration and Invasion in Glioblastoma
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家