Apoptosis of glioma cells induced by the fibroblast growth factor inhibitor 1.3.6-naphthalenetrisulfonate

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are powerful angiogenic polypeptides that are involved in the autocrine growth stimulation of gliomas, We report here that addition to glioma cell cultures of 1,3,6-naphthalenetrisulfonate (NT S), an inhibitor of the mitogenic activity of FGFs, significantly enhanced apoptosis, as assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) assay . The pro-apoptotic effect of NTS was time-dependent. These findings sugges t that FGF may play a pivotal role in the survival of glioma cells, and sup port a clinical interest of NTS as a leading compound for the development o f new antitumorals. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reser ved.