Novel method of cell line establishment utilizing fluorescence-activated cell sorting resulting in 6 new head and neck squamous cell carcinoma lines.

Background: The purpose of this study was to present the establishment of new cell lines, which is important to cancer research.

Methods: Six new head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines were established using a novel fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) method in order to overcome the barrier of fibroblast overgrowth and the susceptibility of primary tumors to fail in vitro.

Results: Antibodies chosen for specific targeting of epithelial cells and fibroblasts successfully separated cells for line establishment in 6 of 12 attempts, providing an alternative method of establishing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.