Henrietta Lacks, HeLa cells, and cell culture contamination.

Henrietta Lacks died in 1951 of an aggressive adenocarcinoma of the cervix. A tissue biopsy obtained for diagnostic evaluation yielded additional tissue for Dr George O. Gey's tissue culture laboratory at Johns Hopkins (Baltimore, Maryland).

Responsibility for truth in research.

For over half a century, cell cultures derived from animals and humans have served researchers in various fields. To this day, cross-contamination of cultures has plagued many researchers, often leading to mistaken results, retractions of results, cover-ups and some out-and-out falsification of data and results following inadvertent use of the wrong cells. Also, during years of examining cultures for purity we learned that many virologists were not too concerned about the specificity of the cultures they used to propagate the particular virus under study as long as the substrate (whatever it might have been) gave optimal virus yield.

Biological characteristics and viral susceptibility of a stable dog kidney cell line.

A cell line derived in 1956 from normal dog kidney is described. The cells are epithelial, contact-inhibited, and can be maintained in the same culture vessels for period of more than 2.5 yr.

Specific chromosome loss associated with the expression of tumorigenicity in human cell hybrids.

Four related nontumorigenic and tumorigenic HeLa x fibroblast intraspecific human hybrid cell lines were analyzed to determine whether specific chromosome(s) are associated with the control of tumorigenic expression. The loss of one copy each of both chromosome 11 and chromosome 14 were associated, with a high degree of statistical significance, with the expression of tumorigenicity in two segregants derived from the original nontumorigenic hybrid population. Although the parental origin of the chromosomes could not be established in this study, our preliminary results suggest that complex, genetically determined, regulatory interactions may operate in the control of neoplastic expression.

Characterization of calcitonin- and adrenocorticotropin-producing human cloned cell lines.

We have developed three human cloned cell lines that produce immunoreactive human calcitonin (ihCT) and ACTH (iACTH) as well as exhibit characteristics of cultured neural cells. Clones HMS-41/I, -78/2, and -98/2 were developed from cell lines HeLa AV3, MBA 9812 (bronchogenic carcinoma), and SW 267 (pheochromocytoma), respectively. Karyological analysis of both the parent and the cloned cell lines confirmed the identity of HeLa AV3 and MBA 9812.

Characteristics of membrane and cytosol forms of the mammary tumor glycoprotein molecule MTGP in human breast carcinoma cell cultures and tumors.

The presence, concentration and selected molecular characteristics of the human mammary carcinoma glycoprotein molecule set MTGP, a trace and apparently tumor-specific molecule, were examined in fifteen cell cultures established from mammary carcinomas, tissue from seven mammary carcinomas and control cultures. Both cytosol and membrane-associated forms of MTGP were analyzed, and each was phenotyped by reference to isoelectric point and buoyant density. All cells or tissues of mammary carcinoma origin contained membrane MTGP, whereas cytosol MTGP was undetectable in cell cultures from half of the mammary carcinomas.

Cross-contamination of cells in culture.

Lists are presented of references to all known publications describing cell properties that serve to characterize (i) known strains of HeLa and purported human cell lines indicated as HeLa contaminants, (ii) strains of human cell lines contaminated with human but non-HeLa cells, and (iii) strains of cells contaminated by cells from one or more other species. Frequencies of cell cross-contaminations are cited and references are presented to relatively simple techniques that could serve to detect such contamination.

Selective killing of human malignant cell lines deficient in methylthioadenosine phosphorylase, a purine metabolic enzyme.

Seven out of 31 (23%) human malignant tumor cell lines had no detectable methylthioadenosine phosphorylase activity (less than 0.001 nmol/min per mg of protein), assayed with 5'-chloroadenosine as substrate. The enzyme-deficient cell lines were derived from five leukemias, one melanoma, and one breast cancer.

Contamination of Hodgkin's disease cell cultures.

Several laboratories have recently reported the establishment and characterization of long-term cell lines thought to be related to the neoplastic cell of Hodgkin's disease. Here, Harris et al. discuss evidence that some of these lines are, in fact, not related to Hodgkin's disease but are non-human contaminants.

Human embryonic lung cells (HEL-R66) are of monkey origin.

Two cultures of cells designated HEL-R66, presumable of human origin, revealed monkey instead of human cell characteristics, including chromosomes, isoenzyme mobility pattern and species-specific cell membrane antigen.

Tumorigenicity of human malignant lymphoblasts: comparative study with unmanipulated nude mice, antilymphocyte serum-treated nude mice, and X-irradiated nude mice.

The ability of unmanipulated, antilymphocyte serum (ALS)-treated, and X-irradiated nude BALB/c female mice (in their 13th backcross generation) to serve as hosts for 10 human lymphoblastoid cell lines as well as for peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy humans was compared. The 10 lymphoma lines included 7 previously characterized and reported in the literature. Significant differences with respect to both latency period for tumor appearance and success rate for tumor transplantation were detected among the 3 experimental groups.

Expression of oncodevelopmental gene products by human tumor cells in culture.

Sixty-seven human tumor cell lines and 15 lines derived from normal tissue were examined for the production of the oncodevelopmental markers carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha and beta subunits of chorionic gonadotropin, placental and nonplacental forms of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, cystyl aminopeptidase, and calcitonin. Both intracellular and extracellular levels of these markers were determined at three phases during the growth of each culture. Sixty-eight percent of the cell lines produced elevated levels (greater than or equal to 90th percentile) of at least one marker.

Heterochromatinization, chromatin elimination and haploidization in the parahaploid mite Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt) (Acarina: Phytoseiidae).

Embryogenic mitoses, mitoses in females and spermatogenesis are described in the predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt). At 22 degrees C, egg development lasts approximately 4 days. Six chromosomes are seen in mitotic metaphases and anaphases of 0--24 h eggs.

Characteristics of HeLa strains: permanent vs. variable features.

Characteristic rearranged human chromosome markers have been observed in a variety of HeLa cell sublines and in five suspected HeLa contaminant lines originally thought to be derived from differentiated tissues of different individual patients. The allozyme genetic signatures, representing the composite enzyme phenotype at eight polymorphic loci, of each of the studied contaminant lines were identical to each other and to those of HeLa cells. The probability that each of these lines would have an identical genetic signature (since the frequency of the HeLa genotype is 0.

Transformation of feline embryo cells in culture by a chemical carcinogen.

A feline embryo cell line was treated in vitro with various levels of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) or dimethyl sulfoxide (control). Repeat treatment of DMBA only induced in vitro transformation of feline embryo cells following clonal growth and selection. The morphologically altered cells formed large cell aggregates and grew in this aggregate form when suspended in liquid growth medium above an agar base, formed colonies in soft agar, and grew to high saturation densities.

Establishment of a lymphoblastoid cell line and isolation of an Epstein-Barr-related virus of gorilla origin.

A B-lymphoid cell line was established from a normal gorilla. The cells contained Epstein-Barr virus-related antigens, and herpesvirus particles were demonstrated by electron microscopy. DNA-DNA reassociation kinétics revealed 30 to 40% hybridization to Epstein-Barr virus with 50 genomes per cell.

Morphological and biochemical properties of a new human breast cancer cell line.

DU4475 is a new human breast cell line derived from a cutaneous metastatic nodule from a patient with advanced breast cancer. It has been in continuous culture for more than 1 year and has survived 140 subcultivations. The cells grow in suspension, displaying clusters and free-floating aggregates with serpentine-like outgrowths.

Neoplastic transformation of canine embryo cells in vitro by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

A cell line derived from a normal beagle embryo was treated in vitro with various levels of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine or dimethyl sulfoxide (control). Cells treated only with the carcinogen underwent morphologic alteration in vitro, and one of these altered cell lines produced tumors subcutaneously when injected into NIH nude mice. The tumorigenic transformed line formed larger cell aggregates and grew in this aggregate form when suspended in liquid growth medium above an agar base.

Spontaneous esophageal carcinoma and epithelial cell line of an adult rhesus monkey.

A continuous epithelial cell line, 816A, was established from a lymph node of an adult rhesus monkey with metastatic esophageal carcinoma. These cells are characterized by the presence of desmosomes and a markedly heteroploid karyotype. At a relatively early culture age, electron microscopy showed both budding and extracellular type C virus.