Human cancer cell lines: fact and fantasy.
Cancer cell lines are used in many biomedical research laboratories. Why, then, are they often described as unrepresentative of the cells from which they were derived? Here, I argue that they have been unjustly accused. Under the right conditions, and with appropriate controls, properly authenticated cancer cell lines retain the properties of the cancers of origin.
Masters
J R
JR
Institute of Urology, University College London, 67 Riding House Street, London W1W 7EY, UK. j.masters@ucl.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured