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DNA profiling and cytogenetic analysis of cell line WSU-CLL reveal cross-contamination with cell line REH (pre B-ALL)

Leukemia volume 16, pages 1868–1870 (2002)Cite this article

Leukemia–lymphoma cell lines represent invaluable resources for the investigation of an endless variety of cellular and molecular processes in vitro. While certain experimental results obtained in cell culture lend themselves to a global interpretation applicable for a whole class of cells (eg for all hematopoietic cells), in other investigations where experimental data are specific for rather narrowly defined types of cells (eg a defined maturation stage within one hematopoietic cell lineage or a specific subtype of hematopoietic malignancy), it is of the utmost importance that the in vitro model cell line corresponds as closely as possible to its original tumor. In other words, it is inappropriate to extrapolate B cell-specific findings to monocytes. Otherwise, why bother with complex cell lines which are difficult to grow and not just simply use some easier cell lines such as HL-60, K-562 or U-937 and boldly extrapolate the results across cell lineages to the desired target cells?

Hence, it is absolutely necessary to identify precisely the cell lineage and stage of arrested differentiation of a leukemia–lymphoma cell line. However, besides the exact characterization it is also mandatory to verify the derivation of that cell line from the presumed patient by unequivocal methods such as forensic-type DNA profiling, cytogenetic karyotyping, etc.

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  1. DSMZ-German Collection of Micro-organisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany

    HG Drexler, H Quentmeier, WG Dirks, CC Uphoff & RAF MacLeod

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  1. HG Drexler
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  2. H Quentmeier
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Drexler, H., Quentmeier, H., Dirks, W. et al. DNA profiling and cytogenetic analysis of cell line WSU-CLL reveal cross-contamination with cell line REH (pre B-ALL). Leukemia 16, 1868–1870 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2402610

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