ReviewCancers2026
Ex Vivo Organotypic Brain Slice Models for Glioblastoma: A Systematic Review.
Review in Cancers, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- The Kynurenine Pathway: Unraveling Its Role in Neurological Disorders via Mammalian Cellular Models.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Overexpression of miR-219 as a potential therapeutic strategy of glioblastoma cells in vitro.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Advancing glioblastoma research by establishing a whole brain slice model.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- Toward functional precision oncology: organotypic brain slices in glioblastoma.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- Local Nanomedicine and Nano-Enabled Biomaterials After Glioblastoma Resection.International journal of nanomedicine · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectiveThis systematic review aims to evaluate ex vivo brain slice models in glioblastoma (GBM) research, with a specific focus on tumour invasion, tumour-microenvironment interactions, and therapeutic response.
methodsA systematic search looking for studies employing ex vivo organotypic brain slice models in GBM research was conducted across multiple databases (January 2010-July 2025) in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The study was registered in PROSPERO database (CRD420251138341). Inclusion criteria encompassed patient-derived brain slices, hybrid rodent-human slice co-cultures, and microfluidic-integrated ex vivo platforms designed to assess tumour invasion, microenvironmental interactions and therapeutic responses. Exclusion criteria included reviews, abstracts, conference proceedings, in vivo-only studies, purely in vitro models without organotypic integration, and studies not focused on GBM.
resultsTwenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 18/26 (69%) investigated GBM invasion, 18/26 (69%) evaluated therapeutic responses, and 5/26 (19%) examined tumour-microenvironment interactions, with several studies spanning multiple domains. Across platforms, organotypic slices consistently recapitulated key features of GBM biology-including perivascular and white-matter-aligned invasion, stromal-immune interactions, and patient-specific drug sensitivity-while engineered systems enhanced perfusion and exposure control. Methodological variability, particularly regarding slice preparation, oxygenation and viability assessment, limits direct comparability between studies.
conclusionsOrganotypic brain slice models represent an extremely relevant tool for translational investigations of GBM biology and treatment response. However, substantial methodological heterogeneity together with limited standardisation hamper reproducibility and cross-study validation. Future work should focus on enhancing reproducibility and harmonising protocols to support the development of clinically meaningful precision oncology strategies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.