Two new estrogen-supersensitive variants of the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line.
Two new estrogen-sensitive variants of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, CG-4 and CG-5, are described in this report. These cells were derived from a casual contamination by MCF-7 cells of primary cultures from a human adenocarcinoma of the breast and a pleural effusion of a patient with advanced breast cancer, respectively. Careful characterization of these variants revealed chromosomal properties highly similar to and alloenzyme phenotypes identical to those of MCF-7 cells which were simultaneously cultured in the laboratory. MCF-7, CG-4 and CG-5 cells were tested for estrogen responsiveness under identical growth conditions, that is in the presence of culture medium supplemented with 5% charcoal-treated serum. While the number of MCF-7 cells increases by about 40% over the controls in the presence of physiological concentrations of estradiol, the number of CG-4 cells doubles and the number of CG-5 cells triples. All these cell lines have approximately the same number of estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, and progesterone receptor sites/cell. Since several difficulties arise in demonstrating the estrogen responsive growth stimulation of currently available human breast cancer cells, these two new variants, characterized by a high and reproducible estrogen responsiveness, afford a new model for studying the mechanisms by which estrogen regulates cell proliferation. The problems related to the careful characterization of every established cell line are discussed.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000032:analysis
D005819:Genetic Markers; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D004958:Estradiol