title: Continuous growth of human tumor cell lines in serum-free media.
abstract: Five human tumor cell lines were studied for growth factor requirements and for replication in serum-free media. Of the five tumor lines HT-29 (colon carcinoma), TWI (melanoma), A-549 (lung carcinoma), Panc-1, (carcinoma of the pancreas) and EJ, (bladder carcinoma) only HT-29 and TWI grew in the serum-free medium (SFM). In a series of additional experiments, a combination of transferrin (5 micrograms/ml), insulin (5 micrograms/ml), triiodothyronine (2 X 10(-10) M), epidermal growth factor (20 ng/ml), and selenium (5 ng/ml) was added to Chee's essential medium (CEM) without serum (C-TITES medium). The C-TITES modification of CEM was found to allow optimal replication of HT-29 and TWI cells. Both HT-29 and TWI cells have replicated continuously in C-TITES medium for periods of more than 15 mo. These cells replicate with slightly lower doubling times than in CEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Deletion of insulin or transferrin from the C-TITES medium resulted in cessation of cell growth of HT-29 and TWI. HT-29 assumed a somewhat rounded morphology, whereas TWI grew with the characteristic fibroblastic morphology in C-TITES medium. Cell line EJ did not grow in C-TITES medium. The other two cell lines, A-549 and Panc-1, grew in C-TITES medium but their growth rate was much slower than that in SSM. Availability of cell lines that can be propagated in serum-free, hormone-supplemented medium may aid in the study of the mechanisms by which hormones influence cell growth.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D006133:Growth Substances