An Established Cultured Cell Line (HBT-39) From Human Breast Carcinoma

Abstract

Cultivation in vitro of a human ductal-cell breast carcinoma yielded 3 cell lines: one fibroblast-like and two epithelial-like. The morphology, growth characteristics, and karyology strongly suggested that 1) the epithelial-like cells were derived from the tumor cells and retained their malignant characteristics, and 2) the fibroblast-like cells might be nonmalignant. Epithelial-like cells required insulin for sustained growth; those grown with insulin were inhibited by progesterone and cortisone, but were not affected by estrogen, prolactin, growth hormone, and aldosterone. Conversion from monolayer to suspension forms was made by cultivation in medium with artificially aged human serum. Suspension cultures returned to monolayer form if the aged serum was not used in cultivation. Electron microscopy, virus induction, or biochemical techniques failed to demonstrate the presence of viruses in the first 50 culture passages of these cell lines.