Radiobiological studies of human hybrid cells (skin fibroblasts X HeLa) and their tumourigenic segregants.

Data are presented on the survival characteristics following gamma-irradiation of a human hybrid cell line (skin fibroblasts X HeLa), and its tumourigenic segregant, which indicate that transition from the non-tumourigenic to the tumourigenic state is associated with a decrease in the ability to accumulate and repair sublethal damage. Previous studies have demonstrated that this transition to the tumourigenic state is also associated with loss of specific chromosomes (one copy each of chromosomes 11 and 14). It is suggested that this loss of chromosomes may account for the change in radiosensitivity.