Background: Despite the well-documented importance of Nm23 in the control of metastasis, there is currently a paucity of data regarding the role of this gene family in the control of glioma invasion.
Materials and methods: Nm23-H1 expression in gliomas was assessed via immunohistochemistry, Western blot, RT-PCR and Northern blot analyses. The migration and invasion ability were also investigated in primary glioma culture cells, human glioma cell lines and nm23-H1 transfectant, using an in vitro brain slice invasion model and a simple scratch technique.
Results: Although no significant correlations were detected between nm23-H1 expression and pathological grade, the endogenous nm23-H1 expression in gliomas was found to be inversely correlated with their migratory abilities. Additionally, the nm23-H1 transfectant resulted in a reduction of approximately 45% of the migratory ability and suppressed the invasiveness of the parental cell line.
Conclusion: Our overall findings suggest that nm23-H1 may play an important role in the suppression of glioma invasion and migration.