title: Chemosensitivity in childhood brain tumours in vitro: evidence of differential sensitivity to lomustine (CCNU) and vincristine.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the range of sensitivity of a panel of short-term cultures derived from different types of malignant childhood brain tumours including medulloblastoma, ependymoma and glioblastoma multiforme to three cytotoxic drugs, lomustine (CCNU), vincristine (VCR) and procarbazine (PCB). Sensitivity was assessed using a modification of the dimethylthiazolyl-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Short-term cell lines derived from ependymomas were considerably more resistant to VCR than other types of childhood brain tumours, while cultures derived from supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET) displayed marked sensitivity to both lomustine and VCR. Cultures from ependymomas, medulloblastoma and astrocytic gliomas had similar sensitivity to lomustine and PCB as cultures derived from adult malignant astrocytoma.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurology, University College, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lewandowicz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Harkness
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Darling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008130:Lomustine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011344:Procarbazine; D014750:Vincristine; D008130:Lomustine