Why tumor cells are hard to culture - (Sep/18/2006 )

Hi all,

Why many tumor cell lines, except melanoma, are hard to be established ?

Thanks!

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You can transfect cells with SV40 T-antigen to transform these cells first. I think ATCC sells a plasmid that helps to establish cell line that works on a different mechanism.

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as I know ATCC promotes immortalization with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) by introducing a hTERT gene, or if you like viral transformation, by EBV;

as I understand if transfected (or infected), the gene product hTERT "immortalizes" the cell; so, one has to select a continuously hTERT-expressing clone, and gets an immortalized cell line; sounds quite simple but has anyone experience with hTERT method of immortalization?

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Kosmodrom,
I've replied about telomerase in the other post. EBV is mainly used for transformation/immortalisation of B lymphocytes. Although it is found and plays a causative role in epithelial tumours I'm not sure how efficient in vitro infection of EBV is with epithelial cell line and if these infected cells are then immortalised.

Ceri

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