Evolving Landscape of Glioblastoma Research: Integrating Therapeutic Advances and Diagnostic Frontiers

Glioblastoma (GB) remains the most aggressive primary brain malignancy, with the Stupp regimen persisting as the standard of care for nearly two decades despite poor survival outcomes. This review was synthesized by extensively reviewing and analyzing the literature from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to evaluate the emerging promising therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for combating GB. Results indicate significant progress in molecularly targeted therapies, biomimetic nanocarriers, and advanced radiotherapy. While immunotherapeutic approaches, such as checkpoint inhibitors and vaccines, show variable clinical success, the integration of bioinformatics and machine learning has significantly enhanced treatment response prediction. Furthermore, advances in radiomics and molecular imaging have improved the differentiation between true tumor progression and pseudoprogression, potentially reducing invasive diagnostic requirements. Additionally, other emerging and investigational adjuvant therapeutic approaches have shown promise. We conclude that, while multimodal strategies integrating molecular and computational approaches offer a path toward personalized GB management, significant barriers-namely tumor heterogeneity and the blood-brain barrier-persist. Future research must prioritize precision-based combinatorial models to successfully translate these preclinical advancements into improved clinical outcomes for patients.