Growth characteristics of cultured human normal bladder epithelial cells: a comparison with urothelial carcinoma cell cultures.

We present the in vitro growth characteristics and morphology of the first established long-term culture of human normal bladder epithelium. Normal bladder cells were grown with a mean generation time of 44 h and a life span of 33 population doublings in 12 weeks. The cells exhibited contact inhibition of growth. The cultures were morphologically examined and compared with transitional cell carcinoma in culture.