Study of available cancer cell lines shows that many are mislabelled or contaminated

Researchers stress how easy and important it is to verify cell lines before use. Modern cancer therapies start in cells – researchers compare cancer samples to healthy cells to discover how cancer is genetically different, and use cell lines to test promising new drugs. However, a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology shows that due to a high rate of contamination, misidentification and redundancy in widely available cell lines, researchers may be drawing faulty scientific conclusions. Read the full news item here.

 

Study mentioned: Korch C., et al. DNA profiling analysis of endometrial and ovarian cell lines reveals misidentification, redundancy and contamination. Gynecol Oncol 2012 Jun 15. [Epub ahead of print] PMID 22710073