Stereotactic injection of murine brain tumor cells for neuro-oncology studies

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most common and aggressive brain tumors, with a poor prognosis. Effective preclinical models are crucial to investigate GBM biology and develop novel treatments. Syngeneic models, which consist in injecting murine GBM cells into mice with a similar genetic background, offer reproducibility, cost-effectiveness, and an intact immune system, making them ideal for immunotherapy research. This chapter presents a comprehensive protocol for stereotactic injection of murine GBM cells into immunocompetent mice to induce intracranial GBM. The protocol covers cell culture, anesthesia, surgical procedures, and post-operative care, allowing the reliable induction of orthotopic brain tumors. This method can be used to study anti-GBM therapies, including immunotherapies, and has the potential to accelerate the development of effective treatments.