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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

The Lambda Select cII Mutation Detection System
Published on: April 26, 2018
[Application of 293 cells in in vitro detection of carcinogens]
Rui Zhao1, Lei Zhang, Ru-Gang Zhong
1The College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology 100022, China.
Objective:
To investigate the application of 293 cells to detect suspected carcinogens and provide experimental evidence by using in vitro cell transformation assay and tumorigenicity study.
Methods:
The transformation systems of cells cultured in vitro have been adopted to clarify the tumor promotive activity of Microcystin LR (MC-LR). The malignant transformation of 293 cells induced by MC-LR is tested by several methods including clone forming in soft agarose, serum requirement assay and tumor forming in mice to define the promotive activity of 293 cells.
Results:
293 cell acted like tumor cells after induced by MC-LR: serum dependence decreased, anchorage independence growth in soft agarose and formed cell clones, malignant tumors appeared in SCID mice.
Conclusion:
293 cells were easy to culture and sensitive to environmental carcinogens so that can be used in detection of suspicious carcinogens.
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