Establishment and genetic characterization of ANGM-CSS, a novel, immortal cell line derived from a human glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (World Health Organization, grade IV astrocytoma) is the most common and most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor. We report a novel cell line, designated as ANGM-CSS, which was established from a 56-year-old male patient with a surgically removed glioblastoma multiforme. The ANGM-CSS cell line was established in vitro and characterized using histological and immunohistochemical staining, classical and molecular cytogenetic analyses, molecular studies and functional assays using a xenograft model in immunodeficient animals. ANGM-CSS was positive for CD133, nestin and vimentin proteins, whereas GFAP showed staining only in a fraction of the cells. Cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic analysis revealed a near-tetraploid karyotype, with a modal chromosome number from 88 to 91, and additional cytogenetic abnormalities, such as the t(6;14)(p12;q11.2), t(8;10)(q24.2;q21.1) and t(5;9) (q34;p21) unbalanced translocations. Moreover, ANGM-CSS showed amplification of the MET and EGFR genes whose overexpression was observed at the mRNA level. Interestingly, ANGM-CSS is tumorigenic when implanted in immunodeficient mice, and the cells obtained from the xenografts showed the same morphology and karyotype in vitro as the original cell line. ANGM-CSS represents a biologically relevant cell line to be used to investigate the molecular pathology of glioblastoma multiforme, also to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutic drugs in vitro.