Growth and functional behavior neuroblastomas in man and nude mice.

Nine human neuroblastoma were serially transplanted in nude mice. These tumor lines were established from the patients older than 1 year 10 month year old. None of the tumors taken from under the age of 1 year and 7 months grew in nude mice. All transplanted tumors produced catecholamines in varying degree. The growth of low catecholamines producing tumors was apparently aggressive compared with high catecholamines producing tumor lines. These results may indicate that tumor aggressiveness decreases with increased functional differentiation in human neuroblastoma in nude mice. The contents of catecholamine was closely correlated with the number and size of secretory granules in tumor cells. This human neuroblastoma/nude mice system may prove to be a useful tool for basic research on the biological behavior as well as on the cytological and functional differentiation of human neuroblastoma.