Effect of novel pentabromobenzylisothioureas on T98G human glioblastoma cell lines and SEGA-derived cultures

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumours characterized by infiltrative cell growth. The specific novelty inhibitors of constitutively active serine/threonine kinase (CK2), i.e. isothiourea derivatives induce apoptosis and affect proliferation in some human cancer cells. We examined the cytotoxic and proapoptotic effect of selected modified isothiourea derivatives – pentabromobenzylisothioureas (ZKKs) against T98G adult human glioblastoma cell lines and cultures derived from rare, low-grade pediatric brain tumour of a mixed glioneuronal lineage (subependymal giant cell astrocytoma – SEGA), and normal human cultured astrocytes. ZKK-3 and ZKK-2 appeared to be the most effective compounds that induce apoptosis and exhibit strong anti-proliferative effect on neoplastic astroglial cells determined by flow cytometry analysis and Multisizer3 Beckman Coulter. Treatment of T98G cell line and SEGAderived cell cultures with 50 µM ZKK-3 and ZKK-2 for 48 h resulted in apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation up to 60% and 50% respectively. These results might suggest the potential anti-tumour effect of selected ZKKs related with glioma-derived neoplasms.