Skip to main content
Log in

Characterization of an established human malignant glioma cell line: LN-18

  • Original Works
  • Published:
Acta Neuropathologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A human malignant glioma cell line, LN-18, has been established in monolayer culture and subcultured for more than 115 passages. LN-18 cells grow in vitro as bipolar or stellate cells with pleomorphic nuclei, have a doubling time of about 72 h and a plating efficiency of 3%. The glial nature of these cells has been assessed by ultrastructural examination. The synthesis of glial fibrillary acidic and S-100 proteins could not be demonstrated, although the initial biopsy tissue and the early cultures were positive for the former. The presence of Ia-like antigens on the surface of these cells was demonstrated using allo and xeno antisera. LN-18 cells were also shown to synthesize large quantities of fibronectin. The injection of LN-18 cells into nude mice induced the formation of solid tumor masses that could be retransplanted every 3 weeks and showed a morphology comparable to that of the initial biopsy. Karyotype analysis revealed the presence of three marker chromosomes, constantly present before and after hetero-transplantation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

GFA:

glial acidic fibrillary protein

References

  • Benda P, Someda K, Messer J, Swett WM (1971) Morphological and immunochemical studies of rat glioma tumors and clonal strains propagated in culture. J Neurosurg 34:310–323

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigner DD, Markesberry WR, Pegram CN, Westermark B, Pontèn J (1977) Progressive neoplastic growth in nude mice of cultured cell lines derived from human gliomas. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 36:563

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigner DD, Bullard D, Schold C, Wikstrand C (1979) Cellular heterogeneity and diversity as a basis for therapeutic resistance of human gliomas. In: Paoletti P, Walker MD, Butti G (eds) Multidisciplinary aspects of brain tumor therapy, vol 1. Neurooncology. Elsevier/North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 329–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Bissel MG, Rubinstein LJ, Bignemi A, Herman MM (1974) Characteristics of the rat C6 glioma maintained in organ culture systems. Production of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the absence of gliofibrillogenesis. Brain Res 82:77–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrel S, Sordat B, Merenda C (1976) Establishment of a cell line (CO-115) from a human colon carcinoma transplanted into nude mice. Cancer Res 36:3978–3984

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrel S, Gross N, Heumann D, Mach JP (1979) Expression of “Ia-like” antigens on cells from a human endometrial carcinoma cell line End-1. Transplantation 27:431–433

    Google Scholar 

  • Caspersson T, Zech L, Johansson C (1970) Differential binding of alkylating fluorochromes in human chromosomes. Exp Cell Res 60:315–319

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins VP, Forsby N, Brunk UT, Ericsson JLE, Westermark B (1979) Ultrastructural features of cultured human glia and glioma cells. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand [A] 87:19–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Deck JHN, Eng LF, Bigbee J, Woodcock SM (1978) The role of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the diagnosis of central nervous system tumors. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 42:183–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Dohan FC, Kornblith PL, Wellum GR, Pfeiffer SE, Levine L (1977) S-100 protein and 2′-3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase in human brain tumors. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 40:123–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Duch D, Mandel P, Koprowski H (1975) Demonstration of enzymes related to myelinogenesis in established human brain cell cultures. J Neurol Sci 26:99–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Edström A, Haglid KG, Kanje M, Ronnback L, Walum E (1973) Morphological alterations and increase of S-100 protein in cultured human glioma cells deprived of serum. Exp Cell Res 83:426–429

    Google Scholar 

  • Forsby N, Brunk U, Ericsson J, Pontèn J, Westermark B (1972) Ultrastructural features of in vitro cultivated malignant gliomas. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand [B] 80:431–432

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansteen IL (1967) Chromosome studies in glial tumours. Eur J Cancer 3:183–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacque CM, Kujas M, Poreau A, Raoul M, Collier P, Racadot J, Baumann N (1979) GFA and S-100 protein levels as an index for malignancy in human gliomas and neurinomas. J Natl Cancer Inst 62:479–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurihara T, Tsukada Y (1967) The regional and subcellular distribution of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase in the central nervous system. J Neurochem 14:1167–1174

    Google Scholar 

  • Lightbody J, Pfeiffer S, Kornblith PL, Herschman H (1970) Biochemically differentiated clonal human glial cells in tissue culture. J Neurobiol 1:411–417

    Google Scholar 

  • MacPherson I, Montagnier L (1964) Agar suspension culture for the selective assay of cells transformed by P polyoma virus. Virology 23:291–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Manuelidis EE (1965) Long-term lines of tissue cultures of intracranial tumors. J Neurosurg 22:368–373

    Google Scholar 

  • Mark J (1974) Origin of the marker chromosomes in an established hypotriploid glioma cell line studied with G-Band technique. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 29:223–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Achard A, Diserens AC, de Tribolet N, Matthieu JM (1978) Sulfatide synthesis and CNP: glial markers for cultured gliomas. Experientia 34:914–915

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Achard A, Diserens AC, de Tribolet N, Carrel S (1980) Evaluation of the humoral response of glioma patients to a possible common tumor-associated antigen(s). Int J Cancer 25:219–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Maunoury R (1977) Establishment and characterization of five human cell lines derived from a series of 50 primary intracranial tumors. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 39:33–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Maunoury R, Delpech A, Delpech B, Vidard MN, Vedrenne C, Constans JP, Hillereau J (1977) Localisation de la protéine gliofibrillaire (GFAP) par immunocytochimie dans les tumeurs cérébrales humaines. Neurochirurgie 23:173–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Maunoury R, Courdi A, Vedrenne C, Constans JP (1978) Localisation immunocytochimique de la protéine gliofibrillaire dans les hétérogreffes de cultures de gliomes humains. Neurochirurgie 24:221–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Merenda C, Sordat B, Mach JP, Carrel S (1975) Human endometrial carcinomas serially transplanted in nude mice and established in continuous cell lines. Int J Cancer 16:559–570

    Google Scholar 

  • Paetau A, Virtanen I, Stenman S, Kurki P, Linder E, Vaheri A, Westermark B, Dahl D, Haltia M (1979) Glial fibrillary acidic protein and intermediate filaments in human glioma cells. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 47:71–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfeiffer SE, Wechsler W (1972) Biochemically differentiated neoplastic clone of Schwann cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 69:2885–2889

    Google Scholar 

  • Pontèn J (1975) Neoplastic human glia cells in culture. In: Fogh J (ed) Human tumor cells in vitro. Plenum Press, New York, pp 175–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Pontèn J, MacIntyre EH (1978) Long-term culture of normal and neoplastic human glia. Acta Pathol 74:465–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Salamanca F, Armenares S (1974) C-Bands on human metaphase chromosomes treated by BA(OH)2. Ann Genet (Paris) 17:135–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Seabright M (1971) Rapid banding technique for human chromosomes. Lancet II:971

    Google Scholar 

  • Stavrou D, Haglid KG, Danner K, Weidenbach W (1973) Cytologischer Nachweis des gliaspezifischen S-100-Proteins bei neurogenen Tumoren. Verh Dtsch Ges Pathol 57:408

    Google Scholar 

  • Stavrou D, Osterkamp U, Schroder B, Anzil AP, Zanker K (1979) Selected morphological immunocytochemical and growth characteristics of three experimental rat gliomas and of their cells in vitro. Exp Cell Biol 47:3–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaheri A, Ruoslahti E, Westermark B, Pontèn J (1976) A common cell-type specific surface antigen in cultured human glial cells and fibroblasts. Loss in malignant cells. J Exp Med 143:64–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Vidard MN, Girard, N, Chauzy C, Delpech B, Delpech A, Maunoury R, Leumonier R (1978) Disparition de la protéine gliofibrillaire (GFA) au cours de la culture de cellules de glioblastomes. CR Acad Sci [D] (Paris) 286:1837–1840

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinstein RS, Kornblith PL (1971) Ultrastructure of a cloned astrocytoma in tissue culture. Cancer 27:1174–1180

    Google Scholar 

  • Westermark B, Forsby N, Brunk U, Ericsson J, Pontèn J (1972) Studies on in vitro cultivated human glia and glioma cells, I and II. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand [B] 80:695–696

    Google Scholar 

  • Westermark B, Pontèn J, Hugosson R (1973) Determinants for the establishment of permanent tissue culture lines from human gliomas. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand [A] 81:791–805

    Google Scholar 

  • Wikstrand CJ, Mahaley MS, Bigner DD (1977) Surface antigenic characteristics of human glial brain tumor cells. Cancer Res 37:4267–4275

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson CB, Barker M, Slagel DE (1966) Tumors of the central nervous system in monolayer tissue. Arch Neurol 15:275–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson CB, Kaufman L, Barker M (1970) Chromosome analysis of glioblastoma multiforme. Neurology (Minneap) 20:821–828

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson BS, Indiveri F, Pellegrino MA, Ferrone S (1979) DR (Ia-like) antigens on human melanoma cells. J Exp Med 149:658–668

    Google Scholar 

  • Winchester RJ, Wang CY, Gibofsky A, Kunkel HG, Lloyd KO, Old LJ (1978) Expression of Ia-like antigens on cultured human malignant melanoma cell lines. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 15:6235–6239

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This work was supported by grants from the Swiss League Against Cancer and the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research CNP: 2′3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Diserens, A.C., de Tribolet, N., Martin-Achard, A. et al. Characterization of an established human malignant glioma cell line: LN-18. Acta Neuropathol 53, 21–28 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00697180

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00697180

Key words

Navigation