Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2026

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Course: LS 803 Contemporary Topics Research

Course Instructor: Emma Abbaszadeh

Department: Medical Laboratory Sciences and Biotechnology Department, Jefferson College of Health Professionals

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common adult primary tumor with a grim median survival time of 14.6 months. It is characterized by rapid progression, diffuse infiltration, and rather poor clinical outcomes. The WHO classifies GBM as a grade 4 diffuse astrocytic tumor with distinctive histopathological features including high mitotic activity, marked cellular atypia, microvascular proliferation, and necrosis. Advances in molecular diagnostics have further classified GMB into IDH-wild type and IDH-mutant subtypes, with important therapeutic and prognostic implications. Key genetic alterations, such as EGFR amplification, PTEN loss, TP53 mutations, TERT promoter mutations, and MGMT methylations, have been identified as contributing to tumor initiation, progression, and treatment response. Despite aggressive management with surgical resection followed with congruent chemotherapy and radiation, survival rates are still dismal. Treatment resistance is driven by the protective effects of the blood-brain barrier, tumor heterogeneity, and the infiltrative nature of the tumors themselves. Emerging therapeutic strategies, such as targeted IDH and EGFR molecular inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, and oncolytic viral therapies, aim to improve outcomes through a personalized-medicine approach. This paper aims to review pathogenesis, molecular biology, standard clinical treatments, and novel therapies for GBM. Furthermore, specific highlights of ongoing challenges and future directions in neuro-oncology will be discussed.

Language

English

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