Biological characteristics of a newly established human oesophageal carcinoma cell line

An epithelial cell line, EC/CUHKI was established from a human squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus. The cells were polygonal in shape with numerous microvilli. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the presence of desmosomes and tonofilaments. Karyotypic analysis of cells from the cell line demonstrated an aneuploid human type with a modal chromosome number of 85. Epstein-Barr viral nuclear antigen (EBNA) has not been demonstrated in the cells from the primary culture or subcultures. The tumour cells form colonies in agar and have a plating efficiency of 20%. The cells are highly invasive in vitro and are tumorigenic in nude mouse.