Brain tumors and induced pluripotent stem cell technology: a systematic review of the literature

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide a novel approach to studying the pathophysiology of brain tumors and assessing various therapeutic techniques with greater precision. This study aims to systematically review the existing literature to critically analyze and synthesize current research findings. The objective is to evaluate the role of iPSCs in understanding brain tumors and in the development of innovative treatment strategies.

We systematically reviewed existing articles that utilized iPSC technology to assess either the pathophysiology of brain tumors or therapeutic techniques, following the standards of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Key terms were comprehensively searched in electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus. Articles were screened based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ultimately, 22 relevant articles were chosen, and their data were extracted.

The summary of findings for each selected article was organized into two general categories: "Methods of Generating iPSCs" and "Applications of iPSCs." The methods of iPSC generation, including transfection and transduction, as well as the types of viral or non-viral vectors used, were extracted and reported for each study. Additionally, the main aims of the selected studies, whether modeling or therapeutic approaches, were gathered and reported in the results section.

iPSC technology is a novel vehicle that brings new solutions to overcome difficulties in brain tumor studies. In vivo and in vitro models generated from iPSCs provide suitable platforms to investigate the pathophysiology of brain tumors more precisely. Also, iPSCs have been utilized in various studies to examine how different antitumor agents may affect the target cells.