Establishment and characterization of HKESC-1, a new cancer cell line fromhuman esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The establishment of on esophageal cancer cell line can facilitate the sear ch for molecular mechanisms involved in esophageal carcinogenesis. A new hu man cancer cell line, HKESC-1, was established from a primary moderately-di fferentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus from a 47-year-old Ho ng Kong Chinese man. The pathological characteristics (morphology, immunohi stochemical, and electron microscopic studies), the tumorigenecity in nude mice, the cytogenetic features, the DNA ploidy, and telomerase activity of the cell line were investigated. The HKESC-1 cells have been maintained con tinuously in vitro for more than 16 months and passaged over 96 times. HKES C-1 cells grow as a monolayer, with a doubling time of 46 hours. The HKESC- 1 cells are of a squamous epithelial origin, as shown by their immunopositi vity with the anti-cytokeratin antibodies and ultrastructural demonstration of tonofilaments and desmosomes. The HKESC-1 cells possess characteristics of malignancy because they are highly tumorigenic in nude mice and have st rong telomerase activity. The HKESC-1 cells had an aneuploid DNA content, a s demonstrated by flow cytometric analysis. Cytogenetic analysis revealed h yperdiploidy of greater than 50 in 80% of analyzable metaphases. Chromosome some gains and losses were common, and loss of the Y chromosome was a cons istent numerical aberration. Additionally, many structural chromosomal abno rmalities were encountered, with frequent breakpoints at 1p32, 7p22, 7q34, and 20q13. This newly established cell line serves us a useful model ibr st udying the molecular pathogenesis, and testing new therapeutic reagents for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 2000. All r ights reserved.