Establishment of an osteoinductive murine osteosarcoma clonal cell line showing osteoblastic phenotypic traits

A clonal cell line, BFO-6, was established in culture from a Dunn osteosarcoma cell line (BFO) and characterized on the basis of bone-inducing activity, alkaline phosphatase activity, PTH sensitive cAMP production and tumorigenicity. Lyophilized pellets of devitalized cells, when implanted into the back muscles of allogenic host mice, consistently elicited heterotopic bone formation at 3 weeks postimplantation. BFO-6 cells were found to be rich in alkaline phosphatase activity and showed a significant response to h-PTH stimulation. The doubling time in the logarithmic phase was 17.2 h and the cells revealed an acrocentric karyotype. Subcutaneous transplantation of cells (1 x 10(7) cells) into a C3H mouse resulted in the production of a tumor with histological features of osteosarcoma. This tumor also retained bone-inducing activity and high alkaline phosphatase activity.