Human non-malignant and malignant brain tumor derived cell cultures: proliferation and sensitivity to natural human fibroblast (beta) interferon

Twenty-one human brain tumor biopsies were processed by mechanical and enzymatic methods to produce mixed cell suspensions. Cultures were prepared in small plastic flasks, and primary outgrowth occurred in 16/21 cultures. The period required for primary outgrowth ranged from 3 days to 14 days. We established serial propagation with 15/16 of the primary cultures. Sensitivity to HuIFN-β was determined between passages 3 to 12, using a microassay based on cell viability (uptake of a supravital stain, netural red). Extracted dye was quantified in acidic-methanol using the MR580 Microelisa Autoreader (Dynatech). We observed a broad range of responsiveness to the drug among the 12 cell-strains tested. Thus, 4 cell strains were relatively sensitive; 4 were resistant to 104 IRU/ml of purified HuIFN-β. Four cell strains exhibited a level of responsiveness that was intermediate to that of these two groups.