In vitro studies on the pathogenesis of bladder cancer.

Three methods for the culture of human urothelial cells in vitro are described: (1) the propagation of primary cultures and cell lines derived from normal urothelial cells, (2) the immortalization of normal urothelial cell lines with a temperature-sensitive SV40 large T antigen and (3) continuous cell lines derived from bladder cancers. Such cultures provide model systems for studying the factors that control the growth and differentiation of both normal and neoplastic urothelial cells, and for defining the morphological, biochemical and genetic changes associated with the development and progression of bladder cancer.