Improvement of motor function in multiple sclerosis by use of protopam chloride.

PAM, a cholinesterase reactivator, was administered orally and parenterally to 37 patients with multiple sclerosis and a control group of 24 patients with other neurological diseases and pain syndromes. The effects of the administration of this compound in these patients with and without electrical stimulation of the spinal cord were studied. The clinical response to the drug follows a known time course and is dose related.

Growth of astrocytomas in the human tumor clonogenic assay and sensitivity to mismatched dsRNA and interferons.

Nine astrocytoma specimens were received from seven patients and processed for testing in the human tumor clonogenic assay (HTCA). Cells derived from these specimens were challenged with human natural alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) and beta interferon (beta-IFN), recombinant beta interferon (beta ser-IFN), and mismatched double-stranded (ds) RNA (Ampligen). Six of the astrocytoma specimens formed adequate colonies for drug sensitivity testing (greater than or equal to 30 colonies/plate), and all were high-grade (III-IV) tumors.

Human non-malignant and malignant brain tumor derived cell cultures: proliferation and sensitivity to natural human fibroblast (beta) interferon.

Twenty-one human brain tumor biopsies were processed by mechanical and enzymatic methods to produce mixed cell suspensions. Cultures were prepared in small plastic flasks, and primary outgrowth occurred in 16/21 cultures. The period required for primary outgrowth ranged from 3 days to 14 days.

Serum protein masking of the thermal sensitivity of the antiviral activity of purified human beta interferon: implications for clinical studies.

Human beta-interferon (HuIFN-beta) exhibits antiproliferative and antiviral properties. Successful clinical application of this drug depends on knowledge of the thermal stability of these activities under physiological conditions. In the present study, both the antiproliferative and antiviral activities were stabilized by the addition of very small quantities of serum proteins.

Human brain tumor--derived cell lines: growth rate reduced by human fibroblast interferon.

The biological response modifier human beta-interferon had pronounced antigrowth effects on various histologic types of human brain tumor cells but no effects on a nontransformed cell line, MRC-5. The cultures of brain tumor cells showed severe alterations indicative of cell injury and death after exposure to beta-interferon for 2 to 6 days. Similar results were obtained with cells freshly explanted from human brain tumors.