title: In vitro maintenance of a new ovarian cancer cell line in protein-free media: a potential model for autonomous growth and tumor progression.
abstract: A new cell line UWOV2 (pf) capable of long-term growth in the absence of any added serum protein, exogenous growth factor, insulin or transferrin, is described. The original cell line (UWOV2 and UWOV2 (sf), adapted to grow in serum-free conditions) was derived from the ascitic tumor of a patient with ovarian carcinoma. Under continuous culture conditions further adaptations have occurred enabling UWOV2 (pf) to maintain anchorage-dependent growth without requiring exogenous anchorage or growth factors. These cells produce a structured extracellular matrix which acts as an adhesive substrate for the UWOV2 (pf) cells themselves as well as for a number of other long-term cell lines including NRK and 3T3 cells. Furthermore, while UWOV2 (pf) cells produce a transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta)-like growth factor, they appear to be only partially dependent on autocrine growth stimulation, and other mechanisms for autonomous growth stimulation appear to exist. This cell line may be a useful model for the study of progressive growth autonomy in human tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Golombick
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bezwoda
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D007328:Insulin; D014168:Transferrin; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta