Treatment with anti-HGF agents, such as anti-HGF snRNA/ribozymes (95), anti-HGF antibodies (96, 98), or competitive inhibitors of HGF (99) decreased the growth of in vivo xenograft glioma tumors by decreasing cell proliferation and increasing apoptosis (and through effects on angiogenesis which will be addressed separately). The gene discussed is HGF; the disease is glioma.