Abstract
Lung tumours of non small cell pathology were cultured by clonogenic assay in several media. Culture was successful in spleen conditioned medium, but only 57% grew and low plating efficiencies (PE) meant that only 23% of the original number produced significant drug results. Comparison of rat erythrocyte lysate (REL) medium with serum free defined medium (HITES) and HITES + 10% FBS demonstrated clear enhancement of PE in REL although growth was 100% successful in all these media. Ninety-three percent of samples tested against drugs in REL produced significant results. A later comparison of REL with McCoy's 5A + rbc +/- hydrocortisone produced relatively poor culture success for these 3 media and equivocal growth patterns. Low PE was attributed to age of rats used for rbc. Vindesine and cis-platinum cytotoxicity in spleen conditioned medium were 61% and 15% sensitivity respectively. These do not concur with clinical experience but the figures for overt resistance, at 39% and 69%, correspond with expected non-responders to these regimes. Drug testing in REL produced figures correlating more closely with clinical performance at 45% sensitivity to platinum and 36% of patients sensitive to both drugs, but the vindesine sensitivity at 55% is again discrepant with performance of this drug as a single agent.
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Simmonds, A., Hamilton, P., Kerr, H. et al. Drug sensitivity of non small cell carcinoma of lung by clonogenic assay in several media. Br J Cancer 54, 587–594 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1986.213
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1986.213