SCATTER FACTOR HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR EXPRESSION ENHANCES HUMAN GLIOBLASTOMA TUMORIGENICITY AND GROWTH

We have shown previously that the multifunctional cytokine scatter fac tor/hepatocyte growth factor (SF/HGF) is elevated in human malignant g liomas. In this study we investigated how human SF/HGF expression affe cts the malignancy of the U373 human glioblastoma cell line in vivo an d in vitro. Human SF/HGF gene transfer increased U373 glioblastoma tum origenicity by greater than or equal to 20-fold and enhanced the growt h rate of intracerebral U373 xenografts by 3- to 8-fold. SF/HGF expres sion had no effect on the proliferation of glioblastoma cell monolayer s but increased their anchorage-independent colony formation in soft a gar by 5- to 8-fold. These results are the first to show that SF/HGF e xpression by human glioblastoma cells enhances their growth dysregulat ion in vitro and malignancy in. vivo. (C) 1997 Academic Press.