Establishment of a non‐tumorigenic papillary thyroid cell line (FB‐2) carrying the RET/PTC1 rearrangement

• Published in: International journal of cancer 2002-02, Vol.97 (5), p.608-614
• Main Authors: Basolo, Fulvio, Giannini, Riccardo, Toniolo, Antonio, Casalone, Rosario, Nikiforova, Marina, Pacini, Furio, Elisei, Rossella, Miccoli, Paolo, Berti, Piero, Faviana, Pinuccia, Fiore, Lisa, Monaco, Carmen, Pierantoni, Giovanna Maria, Fedele, Monica, Nikiforov, Yuri E., Santoro, Massimo, Fusco, Alfredo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Papillary - genetics; Carcinoma, Papillary - metabolism; Carcinoma, Papillary - pathology; Cell Differentiation; Cell Division - drug effects; cell line; Cell Movement; DNA-Binding Proteins - biosynthesis; Endocrinopathies; Female; HMGA1a Protein - biosynthesis; HMGA1a Protein - genetics; HMGA2 Protein - biosynthesis; HMGA2 Protein - genetics; Humans; Interleukin-6 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-6 - pharmacology; Interleukin-8 - biosynthesis; Karyotyping; Malignant tumors; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, SCID; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms, Experimental - genetics; Neoplasms, Experimental - metabolism; Neoplasms, Experimental - pathology; Nuclear Proteins; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion - genetics; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion - metabolism; Paired Box Transcription Factors; papillary carcinoma; PAX-8 gene; PAX8 Transcription Factor; Phenotype; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc - biosynthesis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc - genetics; PTC-1 gene; RET rearrangement; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Thyroid; thyroid carcinoma; Thyroid Gland - cytology; Thyroid Gland - metabolism; Thyroid Neoplasms - genetics; Thyroid Neoplasms - metabolism; Thyroid Neoplasms - pathology; Thyroid. Thyroid axis (diseases); Trans-Activators - biosynthesis; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 0020-7136; 1097-0215
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.10116

A novel human thyroid papillary carcinoma cell line (FB‐2) has been established and characterized. FB‐2 cells harbor the RET/PTC1 chimeric oncogene in which the RET kinase domain is fused to the H4 gene. FB‐2 cells neither formed colonies in semisolid media nor induced tumors after heterotransplant into severe combined immunodeficient mice. However, HMGI(Y), HMGI‐C and c‐myc genes, which are associated to thyroid cell transformation, were abundantly expressed in FB‐2 cells but not in normal thyroid cells. FB‐2 cells only partially retained the differentiated thyroid phenotype. In fact, the PAX‐8 gene, which codes for a transcriptional factor required for thyroid cell differentiation, was expressed, while thyroglobulin, TSH‐receptor and thyroperoxidase genes were not. Moreover, FB‐2 cells produced high levels of interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐8. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.