New tissue model tracks glioblastoma invasion cell by cell

Researchers have developed a human tissue model that tracks the invasion of glioblastoma cells at the single-cell level, providing new insight into why the aggressive brain tumor recurs after treatment. Glioblastoma, one of the most malignant cancers in humans, remains incurable despite surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. A key reason is the tumor's invasive nature: cancer cells migrate far beyond the visible tumor into healthy brain tissue, where they cannot be removed by surgery and seed new tumors, often within months. The new model, described in a study published in a peer-reviewed journal, allows scientists to observe how individual cells break away from the main tumor and infiltrate surrounding tissue. By mapping this process cell by cell, researchers hope to identify vulnerabilities that could lead to therapies targeting the invasive cells. The model uses human tissue, making it more clinically relevant than previous animal-based systems. The findings could eventually help develop drugs that prevent or slow the spread of glioblastoma, which kills nearly all patients within five years of diagnosis. The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and other organizations.