Generation of patient-derived glioblastoma organoids: a comparative study of enzymatic digestion and mechanical fragmentation methods

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor characterized by rapid growth and high heterogeneity, posing challenges for fundamental research and personalized drug screening due to the lack of suitable models. GBM organoids serve as an innovative research tool, providing a valuable model for studying the biological characteristics of GBM. In this study, we successfully generated 4 GBM organoids and employed enzymatic digestion and mechanical fragmentation techniques for subsequent cultivation. Through continuous observation, pathological assessment, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we observed that all the organoids generated through both methods demonstrated good growth characteristics. The organoids derived from mechanical fragmentation not only achieved a two-dimensional (2D) area of ~ 1.5 mm² but also exhibited distinct vascular structures. The organoids derived from enzymatic digestion achieved a 2D area of approximately 0.8 mm². Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis has revealed that organoids cultured using two distinct methods exhibit a heterogeneous cellular composition, comprising a total of 20 cell types (endothelial, immune cells ...). Our studies show that both methods successfully maintained the essential characteristics of GBM, encompassing its distinctive tissue structure and gene expression patterns. Each method exhibits its own attributes, contributing to the understanding of GBM organoids.