ESTABLISHMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF 2 SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA CELL-LINES OF THE FLOOR OF THE MOUTH AND THE TONGUE

The cultivation of squamous cell carcinoma cells of the upper aerodigestive tract is more difficult compared to other malignancies because of microbial contamination. The establishment of new squamous cell carcinoma cell lines is absolutely necessary to further characterize this tumor entity. Methods: Two squamous cell carcinoma cell lines of the floor of the mouth and the tongue were established from tumor biopsies. They were examined by light and electron microscopy. Furthermore immunocytochemical and DNA cytofluorometric studies were performed. The growth features were tested in a tumor-stem cell assay and through transplantation in thymusless nude mice. Results: The epithelial character of the cells was determined morphologically, immunocytochemically, and immunologically. Both cell lines shaved an aneuploid DNA Index of 1.92 for the tongue carcinoma cell line (HCTK-1) and 1.77 for the floor of the mouth cell line (HCFMK-1). The plating efficiency was 0.008 and 0.01 %. Cell differentiation in the original tumor and the nude mice tumor was identical. HCTK-1 is in the 25 th passage and HCFMK-1 in the 42 nd. Conclusions: The two new squamous cell carcinoma cell lines HCFMK-1 and HCTK-1 may serve as a basis for various in vitro investigations and may help to further characterize squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract.