Abstract |
A cell line (SH-2) has been established from breast tumor biopsy after 3
years in culture and another (SH-3) after 13 months in culture from
pleural effusion of a breast cancer patient. Both lines from Caucasian
patients have been established after spontaneous emergence of refractile,
fast-growing cells. Line SH-2 differs from line SH-3 by the presence of
multinucleated cells. By electron microscopy, the cells contain
desmosomes, tonofibrils, are undifferentiated, and are free of mycoplasma.
Chromosome complement of the cells is hypotetraploid, is different from
that of HeLa cells, and contains a large metacentric chromosome. Like HeLa
and MAC-21 cells, SH-2 and SH-3 cells possess only the A band of glucose
phosphate dehydrogenase. Unlike our HeLa cells, cells of both lines
contain the bone-type alkaline phosphatase. They release in tissue culture
medium a number of human serum proteins, including IgG, alpha-2
macroglobulin and transferrin. Tissue culture medium does not contain
reverse transcriptase activity. Attempts to induce virus particles
synthesis with BdUr have so far been unsuccessful. Cells of both lines
grow in nude mice. The cell lines are a valuable tool for virological,
immunological and hormonal studies.
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