Detection of tumor-specific cytotoxic drug activity IN VITRO using the fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay and primary cultures of tumor cells from patients

✍ Scribed by Peter Nygren; Helena Fridborg; Katalin Csoka; Christer Sundström; Manuel De La Torre; Jörgen Kristensen; Jonas Bergh; Hans Hagberg; Bengt Glimelius; Jonas Rastad; Bengt Tholander; Rolf Larsson

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 904 KB
• Volume: 56
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910560517

✦ Synopsis

The semi-automated fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay (FMCA), based on the measurement of fluorescence generated from cellular hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate (FDA) by viable cells, was employed for cytotoxic drug sensitivity testing of tumor cells from patients with hematological or solid tumors. In total, 390 samples from 20 diagnoses were tested with up to I 2 standard cytotoxic drugs. The technical success rate for different tumor types ranged from 67 to 95%.

Fluorescence was linearly related to cell number but variably steep depending on tumor type. Samples from most solid tumors thus showed higher signal-to-noise ratios than hematological samples. A wide spectrum of in vitro drug activity was obtained, with acute leukemias and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas being sensitive to almost all tested drugs, whereas renal and adrenocortical carcinomas were essentially totally resistant. Between these extremes were samples of breast and ovarian carcinomas and sarcomas. When in vitro response was compared with known clinical response patterns, a good correspondence was observed. The results indicate that the FMCA is a rapid and efficient method for in vitro measurement of tumorspecific drug activity both in hematological and in solid tumors. The assay may be suitable for new drug development and direction of phase-2 trials to suitable patients.