The utilization of native glioma antigens in the assessment of cellular and humoral immune responses in malignant glioma patients

A Bosphorus submarine passage and the reinvention of neurosurgery

One of the major themes characterizing the emergence of modern neurosurgery has been the concept of technology transfer and the application of a broad spectrum of revolutionary elements of technology from both physical and biological science. These transference applications are now apparent in modern neurosurgery as it is practiced on all continents of the globe. More than 3 decades ago, these ideas that now have come to fruition were in states of formulation. This article describes and further documents one such fertile cauldron of ideas and practical realities--the United States Navy Nuclear Submarine Service and its role and affect on the life and professional career of an academic neurosurgeon who was active in areas of progress as modernity was established for the early 21st century.

Immunological and biochemical strategies for the identification of brain tumor-associated antigens

Various strategies have been used to identify and characterize the antigens associated with human brain tumors. These approaches have included the raising of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against tumor antigens and, more recently, efforts toward the direct biochemical identification of such proteins. This review summarizes the progress made in this area, suggests reasons for the broad antigenic cross-reactivity and heterogeneity revealed by these studies, and proposes additional methods for deciphering the complex antigenic composition of human brain tumors.

Electron-microscopic visualization of binding of antibodies from sera of glioma patients on cultured glioma cells

Several human cell lines (normal and neoplastic glia, cerebral metastases from adenocarcinoma, fibroblasts) were incubated with sera from patients with well and poorly differentiated glioma and with sera from healthy donors and then stained with PAP complex to define and localize the antibody reaction with cell surface antigens by means of electron microscopy. The sera of glioma patients proved to contain antibodies which bound the tumor-associated antigenic determinants on the cell membranes of gliomas and of cerebral metastases from adenocarcinoma in tissue cultures. Further, absorption testing of the reactive sera on normal brain, well-differentiated astrocytoma and cultured glioblastoma cells, together with cross-reactivity experiments suggests that at least two antigens or groups of antigens are expressed on the glioma cell surface: one shared by well and poorly differentiated glioma cells and the other by poorly differentiated glioma cells and the cells of cerebral metastases from adenocarcinoma.