New factor released by cultured glioma cells supporting survival and growth of sensory neurones

Abstract

PROCESS formation can be induced in clonal neuroblastoma cells by a macromolecule termed glial factor which has been identified in medium conditioned by cultured C-6 glioma cells1. Fibre outgrowth can also be elicited in cultures of peripheral sensory neurones2 by the well-characterised mouse sub-maxillary gland nerve growth factor (NGF) 3, which has been shown to be a different entity from glial factor4. We report here that glioma-conditioned medium (GCM), the source of glial factor, can support both survival and fibre formation of isolated chick sensory neurones and that neither NGF nor glial factor are responsible for this effect. © 1978 Nature Publishing Group.