NUGC-4 Cells

NUGC-4 is a human gastric cancer cell line established from metastatic paragastric lymph nodes of an adult patient with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma exhibiting focal signet-ring cell carcinoma features. The cell line was developed from tumor tissues acquired during surgical resection and has been successfully maintained both in vitro and as a transplantable tumor in nude mice. In vitro, NUGC-4 cells grow predominantly as spherical cells, with some free-floating populations, and exhibit epithelial characteristics confirmed via electron microscopy. These include well-developed endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, cytoplasmic filaments, and desmosome-like junctions. Notably, cells contain intracytoplasmic microcysts, contributing to their unique morphology.

Chromosomal analysis reveals that NUGC-4 cells possess a near-triploid karyotype with a modal chromosome number ranging from 52 to 54 in vitro and approximately 53 in vivo. The cells display consistent trisomies across several chromosomal groups, though no specific marker chromosomes were identified. Doubling time for NUGC-4 is approximately 29.9 hours, indicating a moderately rapid proliferation rate under standard culture conditions. Among three related gastric cancer lines (NUGC-2, NUGC-3, and NUGC-4), NUGC-4 exhibited the highest in vitro sensitivity to anticancer agents such as mitomycin C and adriamycin, suggesting a heightened responsiveness to certain DNA-damaging chemotherapeutics.

Histologically, xenografts derived from NUGC-4 resemble the parent tumor, maintaining features of a scirrhous carcinoma pattern. The line has been used in drug response profiling and molecular characterization studies as part of large-scale cancer cell line projects. Its combination of clinical origin, histological fidelity, and drug sensitivity profile makes NUGC-4 a relevant model for studying aggressive and chemoresponsive gastric adenocarcinomas with diffuse-type characteristics.