Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
Generation of CAR T Cells for Adoptive Therapy in the Context of Glioblastoma Standard of Care
Published on: February 16, 2015
Mechanism of temozolomide-induced antitumour effects on glioma cells
Wei Shen1, Jun-An Hu, Jie-Sheng Zheng
1Department of Neurosurgery, Beilun People's Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China.
Objective:
To investigate the mechanisms of action of the tumoricidal effects of temozolomide against the human glioma cell line U251 in vitro, and to provide preclinical proof-of-concept studies of the effects of temozolomide-containing regimens.
Methods:
U251 cells were exposed to 100 µmol/l temozolomide. Morphological alterations were monitored by light microscopy. Cell viability was measured using the 3 -(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell cycle analysis and the rate of apoptosis were determined using flow cytometry and the number of acidic vesicular organelles stained with acridine orange were analysed by fluorescence microscopy. The scratch recovery test was used to measure cell migration.
Results:
U251 cells that were treated with temozolomide displayed morphological alterations indicative of a rounder shape and impaired cellular adhesion to the cell culture plate compared with control U251 cells. Temozolomide reduced cell viability as measured by the MTT assay, caused cell cycle arrest in the gap 2/mitosis phase, inhibited cell migration and promoted autophagy in U251 cells.
Conclusion:
Temozolomide induced autophagic, but not apoptotic processes, in U251 cells and thus reduced their viability and migration.
