Radiosensitivity of head and neck cancer cells in vitro. A 96-well plate clonogenic cell assay for squamous cell carcinoma.
Radiation sensitivity was determined for nine University of Michigan squamous cell carcinoma (UM-SCC) cell lines, MCF-7 and HeLa, using a 96-well plate clonogenic assay. Plating efficiencies (PE) of the UM-SCC cell lines were between 0.16 and 0.36. Higher PE values obtained were with MCF-7 (0.4) and HeLa (0.5). The UM-SCC cell lines were used at low passages (passage 13 to passage 20) to minimize artifacts attributable to long-term culture. Cells were irradiated in suspension using a cobalt 60 gamma source at a dose rate of 0.94 Gy/min (94 rad/min). Survival data were fitted well by either a linear quadratic function F = e-(alpha D + beta D2) or by a monoexponential function F = Ae-alpha D. Mean inactivation dose, equivalent to the area under the survival curve (AUC), was used as a measure of radiation sensitivity. The UM-SCC-1, 9, 11A, 11B, MCF-7, and HeLa were the most radiation resistant lines we tested (AUC greater than 2.1), while UM-SCC-14A was the most sensitive (AUC = 1.591). The assay was highly reproducible, and the difference in radiation sensitivity between cell lines were statistically significant.
Grenman
R
R
Loimaa Finland Regional Hospital.
Burk
D
D
Virolainen
E
E
Wagner
J G
JG
Lichter
A S
AS
Carey
T E
TE
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay