GANGLIOSIDE GM3 INDUCED APOPTOSIS OF NEURAL CELLS

摘要

The present invention relates to the ability of the ganglioside, GM3 to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in proliferating CNS cells. The present invention further demonstrates the ability for GM3 to reduce cell numbers in primary cultures of rapidly proliferating human glial tumors and the 9L rat gliosarcoma cell line. In addition, GM3 is shown to have no effect on quiescent cultures of normal human CNS cells. A single injection of GM3 three days after intracranial implantation of tumor cells in a murine xenograft model system resulted in a significant increase in the symptom-free survival period of host animals. Therefore, GM3 is useful as a chemotherapeutic agent for human high grade gliomas.