Response variability of human brain tumors to AZQ in tissue culture.

In a series of 28 glioma-derived cell cultures and 6 non-gliomatous CNS tumors, AZQ has been found to have varying degrees of growth inhibiting or cytotoxic activity in nearly all lines tested at doses greater than 100 mcg/ml. At dose levels comparable to the clinically achieved levels (1 mcg/ml), AZQ was found to have a cytotoxic effect in 8 of 28 glioma-derived and 2 of 6 non-gliomatous cell lines tested. These findings suggest that AZQ has activity against certain glioma-derived cells in culture at a response ratio similar to that seen in vivo. There, appear to be significant differences in the degree of responsiveness in different patients' tumor cells which can be detected in vitro prior to clinical treatment.