Speeding up Glioblastoma Cancer Research: Highlighting the Zebrafish Xenograft Model.
Giusi AlbertiMaria Denise AmicoC Caruso BavisottoFrancesca RappaAntonella Marino GammazzaFabio BucchieriFrancesco CappelloFederica ScaliaMarta Anna SzychlinskaPublished in: International journal of molecular sciences (2024)
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a very aggressive and lethal primary brain cancer in adults. The multifaceted nature of GBM pathogenesis, rising from complex interactions between cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME), has posed great treatment challenges. Despite significant scientific efforts, the prognosis for GBM remains very poor, even after intensive treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Efficient GBM management still requires the invention of innovative treatment strategies. There is a strong necessity to complete cancer in vitro studies and in vivo studies to properly evaluate the mechanisms of tumor progression within the complex TME. In recent years, the animal models used to study GBM tumors have evolved, achieving highly invasive GBM models able to provide key information on the molecular mechanisms of GBM onset. At present, the most commonly used animal models in GBM research are represented by mammalian models, such as mouse and canine ones. However, the latter present several limitations, such as high cost and time-consuming management, making them inappropriate for large-scale anticancer drug evaluation. In recent years, the zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) model has emerged as a valuable tool for studying GBM. It has shown great promise in preclinical studies due to numerous advantages, such as its small size, its ability to generate a large cohort of genetically identical offspring, and its rapid development, permitting more time- and cost-effective management and high-throughput drug screening when compared to mammalian models. Moreover, due to its transparent nature in early developmental stages and genetic and anatomical similarities with humans, it allows for translatable brain cancer research and related genetic screening and drug discovery. For this reason, the aim of the present review is to highlight the potential of relevant transgenic and xenograft zebrafish models and to compare them to the traditionally used animal models in GBM research.
Keyphrases
- papillary thyroid
- squamous cell
- high throughput
- drug discovery
- lymph node metastasis
- minimally invasive
- emergency department
- type diabetes
- bone marrow
- oxidative stress
- coronary artery disease
- mesenchymal stem cells
- skeletal muscle
- metabolic syndrome
- risk assessment
- atrial fibrillation
- copy number
- locally advanced
- resting state
- brain injury
- radiation induced
- dna methylation
- cell proliferation
- childhood cancer
- functional connectivity
- quantum dots
- cell cycle arrest
- case control
- cell therapy
- combination therapy
- adverse drug
- long non coding rna
- health information
- pi k akt
- quality improvement