Establishment and characterisation of new cell lines from human breast tumours initially established as tumour xenografts in NMRI nude mice

Human breast cancer cell lines are required as models for use in the understanding of breast carcinoma, and for improving the ability of cell screens to detect appropriate anti-cancer agents. Four human breast cancer cell lines (MT-1, MaTu, MT-3 and MC4000) were established from human tumour xenografts grown in nude mice. All the lines were shown to be of human origin by karyotype analysis, were epithelial in morphology by both light and electron microscopy, were positive for cytokeratin 18, and were free from mycoplasma, bacterial, yeast and fungal contamination. All of the new lines were shown to be ER and PgR negative, while using the same procedures (i.e. radioligand binding and immunohistochemical staining) the positive control cell line MCF-7 was shown to be positive. MaTu had been previously reported as ER and PgR positive in vivo and it may be that this characteristic had been lost due to in vitro selection pressures. The growth rates of all the new breast cancer cell lines were similar and within the limits required for incorporation into a panel for screening anticancer drugs by a microtetrazolium based, colorimetric growth inhibition assay. Three of the lines (MT-1, MaTu and MC4000) were also able to grow into macroscopic colonies for use in a non-agar clonogenic assay. In addition, both MT-1 and MaTu formed spheroids and were clonogenic in soft-agar. The new lines demonstrated a wide range of sensitivities to anticancer agents commonly used in the treatment of breast cancer, and together with their corresponding xenografts are providing additional systems for the evaluation of new compounds.