title: Viable biobanking of primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the feasibility of viable storage of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) for regrowth of cells in culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laboratory-based translational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methods for intermediate-term frozen storage of viable HNSCC were explored using small pieces of primary tumor and dissociated HNSCC cells after short-term culture. Viable cells after freezing were confirmed by adherence to tissue culture plates, cell morphology, and increased cell or colony density. Two cultures were immunostained for cytokeratin to confirm epithelial origin of viable cultured cells after freezing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six primary HNSCCs (two oral cavity, three larynx, one oropharynx) and two HNSCCs that had been passaged through a xenograft (two oral cavity) were dissociated to single cells and grown in short-term cell culture for 0 to 12 passages. After short-term culture, cells were frozen for up to 8 months, thawed, and replated. Frozen cells derived from all tumors (six primary and two xenografts) were successfully replated with cultures lasting >7 days with seven of eight tumors presenting increased colony or cell density over 1 week of growth after freezing. In total, 15 of 15 tested samples derived from six primary and two xenografted HNSCCs were viable after freezing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the current study, we show that biopreservation of primary or xenografted HNSCC using short-term cell culture is feasible. Initial short-term cell culture was required for successful storage and viability of frozen cells. These proof-of-principle studies, if more widely implemented, could improve preclinical testing of new therapies for HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology,Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sewell
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Brandee T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Xinyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Sinard
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mannion
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Netterville
authors.forename: Wendell G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Yarbrough
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D014015:Tissue Banks; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins