Behaviour of gliomas in vitro vs histopathological grading

Infiltration of primary cultured human gliomas into host tissue in vitro is correlated to the histological grade of tumours they are derived from. The higher the malignancy grade, following the WHO classification, the higher the number of tumours expressing an infiltrative pattern in vitro. To select the putative infiltrative cells from freshly collected brain tumour material, tumour fragments are explanted in vitro and primary monolayers are grown. From these cultures flaps of viable and proliferating tumour-derived cells are placed in contact with embryonic host tissue forming a confrontation culture. If infiltrative cells are present in the monolayer, they will infiltrate into the host tissue and replace it in a progressive way: they express an infiltrative pattern. If no infiltrative cells are present, host and tumour-derived cells will stay together expressing a noninfiltrative pattern. So analysis of the confrontation pattern in vitro observed for individual gliomas, collected by a stereotactic biopsy, might help the neurosurgeon to set up a surgical strategy.