Migration, proliferation, and invasion of human glioma cells following treatment with simvastatin

This study describes the migration, proliferation, and invasion behaviour of two human glioma cell lines, GaMg and U-87 Mg, grown as multicellular tumour spheroids after 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMGCoA) reductase inhibitor (simvastatin) therapy. Migration and proliferation studies were performed using simvastatin in concentrations of 0.2-30 mug/ml(-1). A coculture system in which tumour spheroids were confronted with foetal rat brain aggregates was used for invasion studies. A dose-dependent growth and migratory inhibitory response to simvastatin treatment was observed. Marked invasion of the glioma spheroids into the brain aggregates could be seen in both treated and nontreated groups. Simvastatin therapy inhibits tumour cell growth and migration, but the invasiveness of the remaining tumour cells seems to be unaffected.