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Cell Lines

Cell Lines

A cell line is a population of cells grown in vitro that can be subcultured over several generations. Normal cells cease to divide after a certain number of cell divisions, a process known as replicative senescence. This number, called the Hayflick limit, was conceptualized by Leonard Hayflick in 1961 when he observed that fetal cells grown in culture could only divide 40-60 times. This limit is due to the shortening of the telomeres during each round of cell division, preventing cell division...

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Cell line authentication: a necessity for reproducible biomedical research.

Nicole Y Souren¹, Norbert E Fusenig¹, Stefanie Heck¹

¹International Journal of Cancer, Heidelberg, Germany.

The EMBO Journal

|June 27, 2022

Summary

Misidentified cell lines threaten scientific reproducibility. Mandatory authentication at the International Journal of Cancer revealed at least 5% of human cell lines are misidentified, necessitating strict quality control.

Keywords:

International Journal of Cancer Cell line cross-contamination good scientific practice misidentified cell lines research integrity

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Research
Cell Biology
Scientific Reproducibility

Background:

Immortalized cell lines are crucial for research but prone to misidentification.
Misidentified cell lines pose a significant threat to the reliability of scientific findings.
The International Journal of Cancer (IJC) implemented mandatory cell line authentication.

Purpose of the Study:

To review issues related to misidentified cell lines.
To discuss solutions and lessons learned from mandatory authentication.
To advocate for improved cell culture practices and quality control.

Main Methods:

Analysis of cell line authentication experiences at the IJC.
Review of scientific literature and best practices for cell line authentication.
Development of recommendations for journals, institutions, and researchers.

Main Results:

At least 5% of human cell lines in reviewed manuscripts were misidentified.
Approximately 4% of manuscripts faced rejection due to significant cell line issues.
Many rejected manuscripts were later published elsewhere, potentially perpetuating the problem.

Conclusions:

Strict, multi-layered quality control is essential to combat cell line misidentification.
Journals, publishers, scientists, institutions, and funders must collaborate to enforce authentication.
Implementing regular authentication, staff training, and revised policies are key to enhancing good cell culture practices.