Characterization of six cell lines established from human pancreatic adenocarcinomas

Six human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines, designated as KMP-1 to KMP-6, were established and maintained in vitro for > 3 years. All were derived from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. The six cell lines originated from either primary pancreatic tumors, metastatic liver tumors, or metastases to lymph nodes.

Each cell line was characterized by its morphology, doubling time, colony forming efficiency (CFE) on plastic dishes, tumorigenicity in nude mice, chromosomal analysis, and the amount of tumor markers secreted into the culture medium. Furthermore, mutations in the K-ras, p53, and p16/INK4a genes were analyzed.

All cell lines grew as an adhering monolayer and were cultured in medium supplemented with 2% fetal bovine serum. The doubling time ranged from 16-70 hours, and the CFE ranged from 0.1-11%. Subcutaneous transplantation of these carcinoma cells into nude mice resulted in the formation of tumors. Chromosomal analysis showed that the modal numbers ranged from 43-124, and each karyotype was unique. Each cell line secreted detectable amounts of squamous cell carcinoma antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19-9, Dupan-II, and cytokeratin 19 fragment, respectively. Genetic alterations of the K-ras, p53, and p16 genes were detected in six, three, and five, respectively, of the six cell lines.

The authors believe that these newly established pancreatic carcinoma cell lines will contribute to wide ranging studies regarding pancreatic carcinoma progression.