Establishment of ameloblastoma cell line, AM-1.

Ameloblastomas are slowly growing, locally invasive neoplasms with a potentially destructive behaviour. The molecular mechanisms that regulate the cell growth and invasion of ameloblastoma cells are unknown. Because ameloblastoma cells placed in culture have a very limited lifespan, the establishment of immortalized clones of ameloblastoma cells would aid its study. We produced an immortalized ameloblastoma cell line (AM-1) using human papillomavirus type-16. This cell line maintains epithelial cell morphology and expresses cytokeratins K8, K14, K18, K19. Furthermore, bcl-2 protein, which prevents apoptosis, is expressed. We investigated the behaviour of these cells on a collagen matrix in vitro. These cells grew in a monolayer over foci of collagen degradation and could invade the collagen gel at such sites. Since the behavior of cell line AM-1 mimics the behavior of ameloblastoma in vivo, it may be a valuable model for the study of these neoplasms.