Morphologic, cytochemical and neurochemical characterization of the human medulloblastoma cell line TE671

Abstract

Medulloblastoma cell line TE671 was characterized by morphologic, cytochemical, neurochemical, and growth criteria. In contrast to the uniform, in vivo histopathologic appearance of the tumor, TE671 in vitro exhibits six morphologic subtypes (Types I-VI) in varying percentages over 14 days in culture. TE671 grows as a monolayer by the merging of separate foci. Cells were positive for Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and reticulum, and negative for the glial marker, glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP). Receptors for human C3b (EAC) were present on 19% of the cells. Neural associated isoenzymes, neuron specific enolase (NSE) and creatine kinase (CK-BB) were demonstrated in TE671. Progeny of a single clonogenic cell manifested the morphologic heterogeneity of cell types (I-VI). The absence of markers specific for glial cells suggests that TE671 is an early (less differentiated) precursor. TE671, the only continuous human medulloblastoma cell line, provides an experimental model with which to compare and identify the subpopulation of neoplastic cells in medulloblastoma ex vivo.

Phorbol Ester Induces Morphological Changes and Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor RNA Expression in the RD/TE 671 Cell Line

“…The TE 671 cells have been reported to be positive for NSE [10,11], and we have similarly detected weak stain ing by immunohistochcmistry ( fig. 3a).…”

“…Figure 2a illustrates TE 671 cells that had not been exposed to PMA, whereas figure 2b depicts cells after exposure to 10 ng/ml of PM A for 5 days. The uninduced cells seen in figure 2a exibited the morpho logical subtypes previously reported [10]. PMA-treated cells displayed long dendritic-like cell processes and were frequently multinucleated.…”

“…Despite the recent molecular evidence demonstrating that the TE 671 medulloblastoma cell line was actually a subclone of the RD rhabdomyosarcoma line [9], several independent laboratories have provided evidence dem onstrating that the TE 671 cells had both enzymes and surface antigens normally associated with neural-derived cells [10,11,18]. Pappas et al [ 19] recently reported that a pyridine derivative, l-(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)-3-ethyl urea, induced neuronal differentiation in the TE 671 cells.…”

“…The RD rhabdomyosarcoma cell line was established from an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma removed from the pelvis of a female pediatric patient [7], The TE 671 medullo blastoma cell line was reportedly established from a cer ebellar medulloblastoma [8], Both of these cell lines have been used extensively for in vitro studies [9,10]. Recent ly, however, molecular studies have shown that the TE 671 cell line and the rhabdomyosarcoma cell line were both derived from the same patient.…”

ZD6474, a Novel Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor, Inhibits Tumor Growth of Multiple Nervous System Tumors

“…2G; Table 2). TE671 is a xenograft that has a small, blue round cellular appearance on histologic analysis that has been characterized as a rhabdomyosarcoma but was used previously as a model of medulloblastoma (44,45). S.c. TE671 xenografts treated with ZD6474 were significantly delayed in tumor growth (T-C, 16.6 days; P < 0.001; 3 of 10 nondurable partial regressions; Fig.…”