INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF BB-94 (BATIMASTAT) ON THE COLONIZATIONPOTENTIAL OF HUMAN LYMPHOMA-CELLS IN SCID MICE

We have assessed the effectiveness of the metalloproteinase inhibitor BB-94 (batimastat) in reducing the colonization potential of the human Burkitt lymphoma Namalwa cell line. In this study Namalwa cells were injected intraperitoneally into SCID mice and their spread to the sple en, liver and lung studied over a 3 week period. The human cells were detected in the mouse tissues by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ampli fication of a human alu repeat sequence. Comparison of BB-94-treated a nimals with an untreated control group provided no evidence for a sign ificant reduction in the colonization of mouse tissues by the human ly mphoma cells in the presence of the drug. Tumour growth, after subcuta neous injection of the Namalwa cells into SCID mice, was similarly una ffected by BB-94. The significance of these results is discussed.