ESTABLISHMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A HIGHLY TUMORIGENIC HUMAN-DIPLOID ENDOMETRIAL CANCER CELL-LINE

A new cell line designated CUME-1 has been established from a poorly d ifferentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma of the uterus. This cell line grew well without interruption for more than 88 months and 110 serial passages were successively carried out. The cells were highly tumorig enic in nude mice (85%). Repeated karyotype analyses from early (4th) to late (55th) passages of this cell line revealed a diploid stable cl one in each passages without any noticeable structural or numerical ab errations. But from the 80th passage, a subpopulation with reciprocal translocation between chromosomes Iq and 9q consistently appeared and was observed in about 30% of the cells. This cell line is one of the r are examples of experimentally proved tumorigenic cells of human solid tumor origin that retains the diploid karyotype in vitro. HLA typing indicated the presence of DR4, DR13, DQ3, and DQ6. Cytosol estrogen an d progesterone receptors were found both in fresh primary tumor and in this cell line. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) receptor mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction IRT-PC R? in cultured cells. Using the single-strand conformation polymorphis m (SSCP) technique, we have screened CUME-1 cells for p53 mutation in exons 4 to 9. No mobility shift ir as observed. This cell line may be useful in studying the in vitro chromosomal evolution of the cell line and the in vivo properties of human endometrial adenocarcinoma. (C) E lsevier Science Inc., 1997.