Immortalization of epithelial cells . Hopfer, Ulrich, James W. Jacobberger, Dieter C. Gruenert, Richard L. Eckert, Parmjit S. Jat, and Jeffrey A. Whitsett. Department of Physiology/Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106-4970; Cancer Research Center, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106-4494; Departments of Physiology/Biophysics, Dermatology, and Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106-4970; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gene Therapy Core Center University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, UC London Medical School Branch, 91 Riding House Street, London W1P 8BT,UK; Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati, OH 45229
APStracts 2:0176C, 1995.
The methodologies for isolating cell lines have become very powerful, particularly in terms of retaining differentiated features of the parents cells. Cell lines can be developed from primary or early passage cells as well as from transgenic animals that carry an immortalizing gene. Cell lines from epithelia have been selected for their polar orientation, tight junction formation, and expression of differentiated markers or functions. These cell lines provide useful models for studying cell biology of specific tissues, tumorigenicity, genetic abnormalities, or to help screen for effective methods of gene therapy.

Received 10 February 1995; accepted in final form 14 April 1995.
APS Manuscript Number C76-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Cell Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on  2 May 1995.