Human cell transfection with skin cancer DNAs

Spectacular progress towards understanding the molecular changes in DNA of many human tumors has been gained using NIH 3T3s as cellular recipients of transfecting DNA (1). Similar advances in analyzing human skin cancers have not been possible, as DNAs of most skin cancers or skin cancer cell lines--including most malignant melanomas--do not transform 3T3s (2). We have developed a DNA transfection system using human cells as recipients (3): normal human cells are transformed to anchorage-independent growth by transfection with a variety of skin cancer DNAs. This method may allow identification of the genes and specific sequences altered in sunlight-induced human skin cancers.