Establishment and partial characterization of a human tumor cell line, GBM-HSF, from a glioblastoma multiforme

• Published in: Human cell : official journal of Human Cell Research Society 2014-07, Vol.27 (3), p.129-136
• Main Authors: Qu, Jiagui, Rizak, Joshua D., Fan, Yaodong, Guo, Xiaoxuan, Li, Jiejing, Huma, Tanzeel, Ma, Yuanye
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brain Neoplasms - genetics; Brain Neoplasms - pathology; Cell Biology; Cell Division - genetics; Cell Line; Female; Glioblastoma - genetics; Glioblastoma - pathology; Gynecology; Humans; Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors - metabolism; Life Sciences; Mice, Nude; Microtubule-Associated Proteins - metabolism; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplastic Stem Cells - pathology; Nestin - metabolism; Octamer Transcription Factor-3 - metabolism; Oncology; Prefrontal Cortex; Reproductive Medicine; SOXB1 Transcription Factors - metabolism; Stem Cells; Surgery; Transcription, Genetic - genetics; Tubulin - metabolism; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 1749-0774; 1749-0774
• DOI: 10.1007/s13577-013-0086-3

This paper outlines the establishment of a new and stable cell line, designated GBM-HSF, from a malignant glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) removed from a 65-year-old Chinese woman. This cell line has been grown for 1 year without disruption and has been passaged over 50 times. The cells were adherently cultured in RPMI-1640 media with 10 % fetal bovine serum supplementation. Cells displayed spindle and polygonal morphology, and displayed multi-layered growth without evidence of contact inhibition. The cell line had a high growth rate with a doubling time of 51 h. The cells were able to grow without adhering to the culture plates, and 4.5 % of the total cells formed colonies in soft agar. The cell line has also been found to form tumors in nude mice and to be of a highly invasive nature. The cells were also partially characterized with RT-PCR. The RT-PCR revealed that Nestin, β-tubulin III, Map2, Klf4, Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, and CD26 were positively transcribed, whereas GFAP, Rex1, and CD133 were negatively transcribed in this cell line. These results suggest that the GBM-HSF cell line will provide a good model to study the properties of cancer stem cells and metastasis. It will also facilitate more detailed molecular and cellular studies of GBM cell division and pathology.