Comments on Cultured Human Sarcoma Cells

• Main Author: Joseph G. Sinkovics
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2003-01-01
• Series: Sarcoma
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13577140310001607301

Human sarcoma cell populations maintained in culture reflect to the native tumor cells better if the culture retains those nonmalignant cells that comprised the tumor's microenvironment in vivo [Hu M, et al. Characterization of 11 human sarcoma cell strains. Cancer 2002; 95: 1569–76] and thus provide paracrine growth factors and protection from apoptotic death to the tumor cells. Whereas sarcoma cell cultures obtained through meticulous efforts aimed at the elimination of all non-malignant cells of the tumor's original microenvironment consist of subpopulations of tumor cells growing exclusively with the support of their own autocrine growth loops [Sinkovics JG, et al. Growth of human tumor cells in established cultures. In: Busch H, ed. Methods in Cancer Research. Vol 14. New York: Academic Press, 1978; 243–323].