In vitro properties of four benign meningioma cells derived from WHO grade 1 meningiomas

Abstract

Meningiomas are common intracranial tumors arising from the meninges. They exhibit heterogeneity in their biological behaviors and clinical outcomes. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of meningioma development and progression using in vitro systems is essential for improved diagnosis and targeted therapeutic strategies. In this study, four primary meningioma cells designated as SUT-MG9, SUT-MG12, SUT-MG14, and SUT-MG16 were established from WHO grade 1 meningioma tissues via a primary cell culture technique. The phenotypic and genetic characteristics of the four primary meningioma cells were determined. Four primary meningioma cells presented a spindle-shaped morphology with large nuclei and showed prominent expression of meningioma markers, including somatostatin receptor 2 A and vimentin. Growth characteristics demonstrated that SUT-MG9, SUT-MG12, and SUT-MG14 were fast growing, whereas SUT-MG16 was slow growing. Additionally, the expression levels of relevant genes in cell stemness (SOX2, Nanog, and BMI1) and cell cycle (CDK4, CCND1, and CCNB1) were detected only in SUT-MG12 and SUT-MG14. Interestingly, chemosensitivity assay showed that primary benign meningioma cells were less sensitive to gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil. Moreover, biochemical profiles revealed high lipid and ester contents, but low nucleic acid contents in all primary meningioma cells compared to malignant meningioma cell lines. In conclusion, the four primary meningioma cells can serve as cell models for further meningioma development and drug treatment studies.

Keywords: Benign; Cell growth; Cell stemness; Meningiomas; Primary culture.