Biological Features of a Renal Cell Carcinoma Cell Line Derived from Spinal Metastasis

The establishment of a metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) cell line can facilitate the search for molecular mechanisms involved in RCC metastasis. A novel human mRCC cell line, designated RCC96, was established from an mRCC of the spine from a 65-year-old Chinese man. Morphology, cell cycle phase, chromosome number, cell capability of migration, tumorigenicity in nude mice, and cytogenetic features of RCC96 were investigated. Cell growth curve was detected and the cell number doubling time was 52 h. Karyotype analysis showed that these cells were polyploidy. Transmission electron microscope showed that cells were with large atypical nuclei, well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, rich Golgi complex, and mitochondria, as well as visible microacinar in the cytoplasm. PCR and immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that the expression of some genes such as KISS-1, MMP2, and VEGF in RCC96 was not entirely consistent with that in other RCC cell lines, indicating the differences between primary and metastatic RCC cell lines. The RCC96 cell line may serve as a useful tool for studying the molecular pathogenesis and testing new therapeutic reagents for mRCC.