Growing two cell types in the same flask?? - (Sep/16/2009 )

Hi,

I am "thinking" about trying to generate a cell flask which will contain a mixture of HEK293cells and Kelly (NBL,neuroblastoma cells). I firstly want to try and get the two of them to grow in the same media type...either convert one to DMEM or the other to RPMI. If I can get over this first hurdle has anyone else ever tried this?

The reason is because I want to test a neuroblastoma specific delivery mechanism and it would be nice if I had a mixed population of neuroblastoma and "normal" cell lines growing. Successful delivery would result in just the NBL cells lighting up.

Has anyone any experience with this? Am I just being optimistic about this working? Should I just resort to two wells, one 293 and the other Kelly?

All help would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks.

Unless the cells proliferate at the same rate and aren't contact inhibited you are likely to have problems with one cell line out-competing the other over time. There shouldn't be a problem with growing both in the same flask for a short time though.