Home Neoplasma 2026 Neoplasma Vol.73, 2026, No.2, p. 103–109

Journal info


6 times a year.
Founded: 1954
ISSN 0028-2685
ISSN 1338-4317 (online)

Published in English

Editorial Info
Abstracted and Indexed
Submission Guidelines

Select Journal







Webshop Cart

Your Cart is currently empty.

Info: Your browser does not accept cookies. To put products into your cart and purchase them you need to enable cookies.

Neoplasma Vol.73, 2026, No.2, p. 103–109

Title: Cell surface topography differs in the human “glia-like” and glioma cultures
Author: Ivana Sivakova, Maria Lorencova, Anna Perzelova, Paulina Galfiova, Stefan Polak

Abstract: Glioblastoma multiforme is the most malignant and incurable primary brain tumor. Infiltrative growth of gliomas into surrounding brain tissue may cause the presence of normal cells in glioma cultures. The aim of this study is to develop a simple, rapid method for detecting normal cells in short-term glioma cultures, to be applied primarily to personalized glioma treatment.
Cell lines with permanent cell growth consist solely of cancer cells. Here, we examined two glioblastoma cell lines (8-MG-BA and 170-MG-BA), one brain metastatic carcinoma cell line (135-BCA), five short-term glioblastomas, and five human “glia-like” cultures using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), standard phase contrast microscopy, and GFAP immunofluorescence.
All cells in glioblastoma and carcinoma cell lines were covered with microvilli of varying density, 4/5 of short-term glioblastoma cultures contained 1-3% cells with sparse microvilli, and one culture (139-GBM) showed microvilli in 15-20% of the cells and a higher percentage of GFAP-positive cells. A rare occurrence (less than 1%) of cells bearing microvilli was observed in all “glia-like” cultures. Using SEM, we observed similar cells with microvilli in both glioblastoma cell lines, but in the 135-BCA line, the microvilli were significantly shorter. Microvilli rarely occurred on normal “glia-like” cells. Based on this observation, we conclude that our 4/5 of short-term glioblastoma cultures contain predominantly normal “glia-like” cells.
SEM could be a valuable method for distinguishing normal and tumor cells in short-term glioblastoma cultures, which have similar morphologies at light microscopy and immunophenotypes. We conclude that microvilli are characteristic of a specific tumor cell surface topography compared to “glia-like” cells.

Keywords: glioblastoma; “glia-like” cells; SEM; microvilli
Year: 2026, Volume: 73, Issue: 2 Page From: 103, Page To: 109
doi:10.4149/neo_2026_250623N278


download file



© AEPress s.r.o
Copyright notice: For any permission to reproduce, archive or otherwise use the documents in the ELiS, please contact AEP.