Primary culture of inner ear schwannoma

Background

Vestibulocochlear schwannomas (VS) are benign tumors arising from Schwann cells of the eighth cranial nerve. While VS are commonly located in the internal auditory canal (IAC) or cerebellopontine angle (CPA), a subset occurs within the inner ear, known as inner ear schwannomas (IES). Their location influences management strategies in terms of tumor control, hearing, and vestibular function. Despite the differences between IES and CPA- or IAC-located VS with respect to epidemiology, anatomical pathology, growth behavior, and clinical management, little is known about biological characteristics of IES.

New method

We developed a reliable technique for isolation of primary tumor cells from ten IES samples for a standardized application. Cells were isolated, processed and cultured for 28 days. Four samples were further characterized by assessing morphology and stability of schwannoma cells as well as presence of monocytic cells.

Results

In all samples, primary cells were successfully cultured and expanded for at least 28 days. Sequential imaging showed characteristic schwannoma cell morphology and a stable growth pattern.

Comparison with existing methods

While existing protocols had focused on establishing primary cultures of VS in the CPA/IAC so far, this study presents the first successful establishment of primary IES cell cultures from different locations within the inner ear.

Conclusion

This work is intended as a proof-of-principle to provide a valuable in vitro model system for investigating biological properties of IES, allowing expansion of small samples of a rare schwannoma subtype and in vitro analysis of new therapeutic approaches.