Interleukin-2 induces the growth of human glioblastoma cells in culture

The ability of the T cell growth factor interleukin-2 (IL-2) to support the proliferation of human glioblastoma cells in short-term cultures was evalu ated. A morphological, cytochemical and immunocytochemical analysis was car ried out at different times of treatment. In the presence of IL-2 growth of tumor cells was observed. On the contrary in the absence of IL-2 only few colonies derived fr om tumor fragments were obtained and these were so afte r a long time. The immunocytochemical study,revealed that IL-2 induces the expression of the IL-2 receptor on human glioblastoma cells. In the presenc e of IL-2 proliferation of infiltrating lymphoid cells inside the tumor fra gments was also observed Morphological and cytochemical analysis of these c ells revealed positivity for acid phosphatase (AP), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), dipeptydilaminopeptidase (DAP IV) and negativity for serine estera se. These data are in agreement with our previous study on activated lympho id subsets. On the other hand, an absence of infiltrating lymphocytes was o bserved in cultures without IL-2. These results indicate that local treatme nt of human glioblastoma using IL-2 might produce tumor cell proliferation.