Differentiation characteristics of newly established medulloblastoma cell lines (D384 Med, D425 Med, and D458 Med) and their transplantable xenografts.

Three new human medulloblastoma (MB) cell lines (D384 Med, D425 Med, and D458 Med) and their transplantable xenografts were examined for antigenic expression with antibodies against neuroectodermal antigens, cytoskeletal proteins, neuroendocrine markers, glioma-associated antigens, tenascin, human lymphocyte antigen molecules, epidermal growth factor receptor, and T-cell antigen by indirect immunofluorescence, avidin-biotin complex peroxidase immunohistochemistry, and immunoblot methods. We found that each of the three cell lines expressed vimentin; low-, middle-, and high-molecular-weight neurofilament proteins; and the synaptic vesicle membrane glycoprotein synaptophysin. Each of the cell lines also reacted with antibodies against neural cell adhesion molecules, but none of them were positive for antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein, keratin, microtubule-associated protein tau and microtubule-associated protein 2, human lymphocyte antigen-DR, epidermal growth factor receptor, and T-cell antigen. Immunoreactivities with anti-tenascin and anti-glioma-associated antibodies were variable in these cell lines. Anti-human lymphocyte antigen-A,B and anti-beta 2-microglobulin antibodies reacted with xenografts of D384 Med and D425 Med and were weakly positive for a small population of D384 Med cultured cells. In summary, the detection of neurofilament proteins and synaptophysin and the absence of glial fibrillary acidic protein provide strong evidence for a neuronal phenotype of D384 Med, D425 Med, and D458 Med.