Gangliosides of Human Cerebral Astrocytomas

Abstract

Ganglioside content and composition were examined in a series of 25 human gliomas, which were graded histologically by the criteria of Kernohan. The concentration of total gangliosides (lipid-bound sialic acid [LBSA]) was decreased with respect to normal brain tissue in nearly all tumors, and the extent of reduction correlated with the stage of tumor anaplasia. The distribution of individual gangliosides was altered in glial tumor tissue with an increase in proportion of the structurally simple gangliosides and reduction of polysialogangliosides. The most consistent and significant difference was the elevation of proportion of ganglioside GD3 from 4-5% of total LBSA in normal brain to 20% in the astrocytoma grade IV. The proportions of gangliosides GM2 and GD2 were also found to be elevated in all grades of the tumors. The simplification of ganglioside composition seems to be associated with transformation of the astrocyte with the accumulation of the simpler gangliosides, since the changes resemble those reported with in vitro transformation rather than those of analyses of preparations of purified glial cells.

Recombinant Sendai Virus Vector Induces Complete Remission of Established Brain Tumors through Efficient Interleukin-2 Gene Transfer in Vaccinated Rats

“…Another important factor contributing to the difference in therapeutic efficacy may be the expression level of sialic acids. The receptor for SeV is sialic acid bound to gangliosides, which is present on most cell types including the human glia and glioma cells (22,23). It may be altered by infiltration of the host cells in the xenograft models (24) and this probably affects the infection efficiency of hIL2-SeV/DMDF and resultant efficacy.…”

Detection of a Tumour-Associated Ganglioside in Plasma of Patients With Neuroblastoma

“…This is a major ganglioside of neuroblastoma tissue, 15,16 comprising up to 28% of the total gangliosides of this tumour, 16 and it is found in other tumours of neuroectodermal origin. [17][18][19][20] Tumour-derived gangliosides whose carbohydrate structures are the same as those of gangliosides of normal tissues such as brain may nevertheless show minor differences in the ceramide (lipid) portion of the molecule. 21 Therefore, the complete molecular characterisation of the neuroblastoma-associated ganglioside described here will be of interest.…”

Stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 as a potential therapeutic target in glioblastoma multiforme and other cancers

“…It has been reported that human glioma biopsies show elevation of monosialylated GM3 and GM2 and their disialylated derivatives GD3 and GD2 (12)(13)(14). The increase of GD3 was most significant, but the correlation between GD3 and malignancy remains obscure (15,16).…”