Background and Objectives: Cancer cell line is the basic material of various cancer research. Diverse cancer cell lines from various head and neck regions are needed for biologic research of head and neck cancer. However, cell lines
derived
from
head and neck cancer are not common. Recently, we have established and characterized a novel human squamous carcinoma cell line, PNUH-12, from the hypopharynx.
Materials and Methods: Among trials of twenty cases of head and neck cancer, we
established only one specimen succeeded culture passage over 50. We characterized the cell line as follows : growth pattern and curve, morphology using phase contrast microscope and transmission electromicroscope, chromosomal analysis, flow
cytometric
analysis, tumorigenecity by xenograft of cell line into nude mouse and morphological comparison, expression of cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen and vimentin, and P53 mutation and its sequencing.
Results: PNUH-12 showed
typical
growth pattern of cancer cell line, representative morphological characteristics of squamous epithelial cell origin, multiple numerical and structural clonal abnormalities of chromosome, aneuploidy pattern of flow cytometry, and strong expression
of
cytokeratin. The formed tumor of nude mouse showed the identical histopathological phenotype (squamous cell carcinoma) of the original tumor of patient and similar morphology of PNUH-12. There was one point mutation of 78th base, C to G, in exon
7
of
P53 gene.
Conclusion: PNUH-12 can be a good control material and successfully bestowed to researchers for study of biology in head and neck cancer. There still needed more head and neck cancer cell lines from various regions and
diverse cell types in future.
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