Establishment and characterization of a malignant glioma cell line, GBM8401/TSGH,NDMC.

A permanent human brain malignant glioma cell line, GBM8401/TSGH,NDMC, has been successfully established from a 31-year-old Chinese female with brain glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in monolayer culture and has been subcultured for more than 100 passages during 24 months in vitro. The tumor cell doubling time in vitro was approximately 38 hr. The tumorigenicity in athymic nude mice was observed; the tumor volume doubling time was approximately 4 days. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and 10-nm-diameter intermediate filaments were identified by immunohistochemical peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP), immunofluorescence assay, and transmission electron microscopic methods. The scanning electron microscope revealed numerous surface microvilli and various-sized blebs. Karyotypic analysis showed this malignant glioma cell line to be of human origin, near-diploid with a modal chromosome number of 48,XX.