Conditionally tumorigenic clone of C6 cells is induced by gamma-irradiation.
BACKGROUND
Established cell lines are often heterogeneous in their response to ionizing radiation. The tumorigenicity of some cells can be rapidly induced by gamma-radiation.


METHODS
The tumorigenicity of individual clones of C6 rat glioblastoma cells and the effect of gamma-radiation on their growth in vivo was studied by intracranial implantation into Wistar rats.


RESULTS
A clone was found, C6#11, that was conditionally tumorigenic. It either did not form a tumor, or grew into a small encapsulated tumor, and did not cause death or neurological deficits in the animals. Gamma-irradiation of the animals (head only) with implanted C6#11 induced a fully developed invasive tumor that killed them within 25 days. Three grays of radiation of C6#11 cells two hours prior to implantation induced their tumorigenicity as well. The in vitro characteristics of the C6#11 cells as compared to a highly tumorigenic clone did not correlate with their behavior in vivo.


CONCLUSIONS
The C6#11 clone is the first model of an experimental tumor that acquires tumorigenicity in an immuno-competent host immediately after low dose irradiation of the cells.
Department of Neurosurgery (M/C 799), University of Illinois at Chicago 60612, USA. alexkolc@uic.edu
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Kolchinsky
D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002999:Clone Cells; D005720:Gamma Rays; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014746:Vimentin / Q000096:biosynthesis
D014746:Vimentin