Establishment and characterization of immortalized human cell lines from prostatic carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

New human prostate cell lines were developed from prostatic carcinoma (BRF-41T) and BPH (BRF-55T). Primary cultures were initiated from cellular outgrowths of explanted tissues. A serum-free medium, BRFF-HPC1, was developed for growing human prostatic cancer cells. Cell strains were immortalized with pRSV-T plasmid to generate permanent cell lines that exhibited an epithelial morphology. Both cell lines expressed the epithelial cell markers, cytokeratins 8 and 18 as well as the prostatic marker, PSA, and the androgen receptor gene. They possess the H-ras, K-ras, and p53 genes. We hope that these new human prostatic cell lines will be useful as in vitro models for cancer research.