Growth inhibition of newly established human glioma cell lines by leukemia inhibitory factor.

We have established three new cell lines deriving from malignant human gliomas. The cell lines were described in terms of both morphology and growth characteristics. Most cells in all three cell lines expressed the neuroepithelial marker protein GFAP. In terms of growth characteristics, the cells showed only slight differences. The cell lines showed no expression of the neural form of the c-src gene, pp60c-srcN, but did express the ubiquitous form, pp60c-src. The established glioma cell lines were also examined for expression of members of the neuropoietic cytokine family, CNTF and LIF, and their respective receptor components CNTFRalpha, LIFRbeta and gp130. With the exception of CNTFRalpha both the ligands and their receptor components were expressed in similar amounts in all three cell lines. The presence of ligand and receptor prompted us to study the effects of exogenously supplied factors on the growth of the glioma cell lines. Whereas LIF induced a high c-fos expression, only low c-fos induction was observed upon CNTF treatment. Accordingly, CNTF did not have any noticeable effects on glioma cell growth in culture, while LIF mediated an inhibiting effect on the growth of the three glioma cell lines in culture.