ME-180 Cells

The ME-180 cell line is an epithelial cell line established from a highly invasive squamous cell carcinoma, originally isolated from the omental metastasis of a cervical carcinoma in a 66-year-old White female patient. The carcinoma was characterized by irregular cell clusters with no significant keratinization and minimal necrosis. This cell line is particularly significant for cancer research, especially in studies involving cervical cancer and other forms of squamous cell carcinoma, due to its origin and aggressive nature. ME-180 cells are tumorigenic and have been shown to form well-differentiated epidermoid carcinomas when implanted in nude mice.

ME-180 cells have several unique properties, including a heteroploid karyotype with a subtriploid mode, indicating an unstable chromosomal arrangement. The cells exhibit typical epithelial morphology with numerous desmosomes and tonofibrils, and they do not exhibit contact inhibition, often leading to layered growth in culture. The cell line’s growth is inhibited by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), making it useful for studies investigating the effects of inflammatory cytokines on tumor cells. Additionally, ME-180 cells contain human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA, with a higher homology to HPV-68 compared to HPV-18, which could be relevant for studies on HPV-related carcinogenesis.

ME-180 cells are also valuable in infectious disease research due to their sensitivity to various viruses. The cell line has been used to study the interaction with several viruses, including influenza and myxoviruses. ME-180 cells have shown the ability to form persistent infections with some myxoviruses, making them a useful model for studying viral latency and the long-term effects of viral infection on cancer cells. The combination of its cancerous origin, viral susceptibility, and specific growth characteristics make ME-180 a versatile tool in both oncology and virology research.