Tumorigenicity of EBV‐carrying lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLS): Distinctive grading in scid mice

Abstract

The in vitro and in vivo growth of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), Burkitt lymphomas (BLs) and PBL-derived immunoblastomas in SCID mice was studied in parallel. Most, but not all, of the LCLs tested were tumorigenic in SCID mice. Long-term culturing in vitro was not a necessary prerequisite for tumorigenicity. There was a good correlation between in vivo and in vitro growth. Three major classes of cells could be distinguished on the basis of their growth properties.