gms | German Medical Science

55. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V. (DGNC)
1. Joint Meeting mit der Ungarischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) e. V.

25. bis 28.04.2004, Köln

Microglia promote invasiveness of glioma cells in cultured brain slices

Mikroglia fördert das Wachstum glialer Hirntumore

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author Michael Synowitz - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, HELIOS Klinikum Berlin, Klinikum Buch, Hobrechtsfelder Chaussee 96, 13125 Berlin; AG Zelluläre Neurowissenschaften, MDC Berlin-Buch, Robert Rössle Straße 10, 13092 Berlin
  • D. Markovic - AG Zelluläre Neurowissenschaften, MDC Berlin-Buch, Robert Rössle Straße 10, 13092 Berlin
  • R. Glaß - AG Zelluläre Neurowissenschaften, MDC Berlin-Buch, Robert Rössle Straße 10, 13092 Berlin
  • J. Kiwit - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, HELIOS Klinikum Berlin, Klinikum Buch, Hobrechtsfelder Chaussee 96, 13125 Berlin
  • H. Kettenmann - AG Zelluläre Neurowissenschaften, MDC Berlin-Buch, Robert Rössle Straße 10, 13092 Berlin

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Ungarische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 55. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), 1. Joint Meeting mit der Ungarischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Köln, 25.-28.04.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2004. DocMO.04.03

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2004/04dgnc0046.shtml

Published: April 23, 2004

© 2004 Synowitz et al.
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Outline

Text

Objective

The strong invasiveness of glioma cells is a significant clinical problem and an important reason for the high mortality. Microglia, the immunocompetent cells of the brain, contribute significantly to the tumour mass and are potential interaction partners of the glioma cells. Here we studied the impact of the presence of microglia on tumour cell migration in cultured brain slices.

Methods

Cells from a rat glioma line (F98) were stably transfected with green- (pEGFP) or red-fluorescent protein (dsRed). Brain slices (n = 71) from mice (n = 10, 16 days old) were cultured for 4 days before about 5000 F98 dsRed or pEGFP cells were injected. We followed the migration of fluorescent cells over time using 2-photon microscopy. To deplete the slices from microglia, cultures were treated with clodronate-filled liposomes for 24 h. Clodronate induce apoptosis in the target cell. After an additional culture period of 72 h we were not longer able to detect labelled microglial cells, indicating that the slices were free of microglia. Astrocytes and neurons continued to survive as in controls.

Results

24 h after inoculation, tumour cells were found within a maximal distance of 400 µm to the center of the injection site. During the 4 following days, 45,84 ± 12,31 % of the tumour cells in untreated brain slices had migrated more than 500 µm. When glioma cells were injected into the microglia-depleted slices, the migration rate was significantly lower: Only 15,75 ± 1,77 % of tumour cells migrated more than 500 µm within 4 days. PBS-filled liposomes and untreated slices served as controls.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that microglia do not only fail to develop an effective immune response upon contact with brain tumours, but their presence promotes tumour invasiveness.