Bridging the Gap: How Organ-on-a-Chip Technology Facilitates the Battle against Glioma

Glioma, a highly aggressive brain tumor, presents significant challenges in understanding its complex pathophysiology and developing effective treatments. This review critically examines the current glioma modeling platforms, including 2D culture, 3D cultures, glioma-on-a-chip (GoC) models, and animal models, with a focus on their applications in recapitulating the tumor microenvironment and evaluating treatment effectiveness. Particular attention is given to microfluidic GoC models, which offer unique capabilities to mimic the pathophysiological complexity of glioblastoma, including its interactions with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and tumor vascularization. Recent advancements in these models are explored, highlighting their potential for clinical translation through improved understanding of drug permeability on the central nervous system, tumor progress, and therapeutic responses. In the end, the review discusses the clinical perspective of GoC applications and establishes key criteria for designing robust and clinically relevant glioma models. By addressing these challenges and highlighting future opportunities, the critical role of GoC platforms in bridging the gap between preclinical research and clinical outcomes is emphasized, offering a promising approach for more personalized and effective glioma therapies.