Establishment and characterization of a cell line (CUMC-3) derived from a human squamous carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

A new cell line, CUMC-3, has been derived from an invasive nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in a 32-year-old patient. It has been maintained in long-term culture for 59 months, and passaged over 310 times. Monolayer-cultured cells were polygonal in shape, showing a pavement-like arrangement and a tendency to pile up without contact inhibition. The epithelial nature of the cultured CUMC-3 cells was also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy which demonstrated the presence of desmosomes and tonofilaments. The cells were highly tumorigenic in nude mice and the transplanted tumors were poorly differentiated squamous carcinoma which closely resembled the original tumor. Cultured cells obtained from the CUMC-3-derived nude mouse tumor, CUMC-3N, also were studied for its characterization. Repeated chromosome analysis revealed a stable clone with the modal chromosome number of 78. The metaphase of this cell line had multiple structural aberrations of chromosomes 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 20, and X and showed several markers of unknown origin. The results of isozyme analyses were distinct from the HeLa cell line. The identical genetic signature was demonstrated both in CUMC-3 and in CUMC-3N cells. Cultured CUMC-3 cells produced human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit and tumor antigen of squamous cell carcinoma (TA-4). Cytosol estrogen receptors were found in this cell line but progesterone receptors were not measured. HLA typing of CUMC-3 cells indicated the presence of DR4, DR8, DQw3, and DQw6. The result of oncogene analysis using Southern blotting technique revealed no amplification of oncogene c-myc. Analysis of the DNA samples extracted from the CUMC-3 cells showed the presence of human papillomavirus type 16 DNA. Using the single-strand conformation polymorphism technique, we have screened CUMC-3 cells for p53 mutation in exons 4 to 9. No mobility shift was observed in this cell line. This cell line may be useful in studying the in vitro and in vivo properties of human cervical carcinoma.