Observations on a Human Tumour in Tissue Culture

Abstract

IN the course of studying 140 human tumours in tissue culture, a rapidly proliferating strain of cells was obtained from epidermoid carcinomatous tissue, part of which came directly from the patient (H.) (Jan. 21, 1953) and part from an animal (rat) implantation (Sept. 5, 1952) of cells from the tumour, a slowly growing epidermoid carcinoma of the larynx. The cultures have maintained for two years a consistent growth-pattern closely resembling morphologically the malignant tissue from the patient. The strain, being the first permanent one developed in the series, has been designated the A strain. During the first few months of propagation, conditioned medium was employed from cultures made from patients K. and F., having epidermoid carcinomas of the neck and cervix respectively. Because of the possibility of the presence of rat cells in the strain, a study (carried out by Dr. J. J. Biesele, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York) of the chromosomes was undertaken, after a year in tissue culture, which indicated that the cells were of human origin, having characteristic V- and J-shaped chromosomes.