Fibroblast growth factor-9 (glia-activating factor) stimulates proliferation and production of glial fibrillary acidic protein in human gliomas either in the presence or in the absence of the endogenous growth factor expression.

We tested fibroblast growth factor-9 (FGF-9) expression in human glioma cells (U251MG, T98G, U87MG, KALS-1, NMC-G1) and only NMC-G1 expressed endogenous FGF-9. All cells expressed bFGF and high affinity receptors for FGFs (FGFR1 and FGFR3). Exogenously supplied bFGF and FGF-9 both showed mitogenic activities in all cells. Neutralizing antibody against bFGF inhibited the proliferation in U251MG and NMC-G1, however that against FGF-9 inhibited the proliferation only in NMC-G1. GFAP expression was stimulated by both FGFs in these cells. FGF-9 potentially regulates proliferation and GFAP expression in human gliomas either in the presence or in the absence of the endogenous growth factor expression.