Alkyl-lysophospholipids inhibit the growth of hypernephroid carcinomas in vitro.

Synthetic alkyl-lysophospholipids (ALPs) inhibit the proliferation of human hypernephromas in vitro. Cells of ten different tumors were incubated with 4 ALPs for periods of more than 24h. Eight of ten cell lines showed proliferation rates below 1% of the controls after cultivation. One microgram of ALPs per 10(6) tumor cells was effective, in some experiments a dose response relation was found for even lower concentrations. Equivalent concentrations of cytostatic drugs did not show reproducible higher antitumor effects in vitro. In two of the tested cell lines ALPs did not show any reproducible tumor growth inhibition, whereas at least some of the cytostatic drugs revealed slight cytostatis.