title: Successful laboratory growth and analysis of CUSA-obtained medulloblastoma samples. Technical note.
abstract: The development of the Cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA) has facilitated neurosurgical intervention for removal of central or peripheral nervous system tumors adjacent to or within vital structures. However, laboratory studies defining the phenotypic and genotypic properties of these tumors, both in cell culture and as xenografts in immunoincompetent animals, require viable tumor fragments free of microbial or red blood cell contamination. This report describes the use of a readily available sterile trap with the CUSA which, in conjunction with centrifugation and ammonium chloride lysis of the bloody aspirate, allowed collection of concentrated viable human medulloblastoma tumor cells. These cells were successfully established in cell culture and as transplantable xenografts in athymic mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Oakes
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bigner
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Bullock
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bigner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013396:Suction / Q000295:instrumentation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation