The importance of integrating surgical resection into preclinical glioblastoma modeling

Abstract Glioblastoma remains a challenging tumor in terms of clinical management with limited progress made since the standard of care was established in 2005. Maximal safe surgical resection, a cornerstone of the standard of care regimen, is a major determinant in patient outcome. However, this key clinical parameter is generally not accounted for in preclinical models, which are often used to provide a rationale for early phase clinical trials. In this perspective, we cover the current types and status of preclinical glioblastoma resection models and the insights they provide into the glioblastoma disease process. In addition, we discuss how surgical resection alters the immune response, which can impact response to therapies, especially in the context of newly developing and contemporary immunotherapies. Given the complexity of glioblastoma and the use of tumor resection in clinical management, we highlight the necessity and opportunity to integrate surgical resection into preclinical models to help inform and test the next generation of treatments.