In vitro evaluation of the pollen extract, cernitin T-60, in the regulation of prostate cell growth.

Nine human-derived cancer and non-cancer continuous cell lines were employed to evaluate the relative in vitro activity of the pollen extract, Cernitin T-60. Responses of the cell lines to the drug were assessed by measuring growth and cell survival as determined by cell count. The results demonstrated that of the 9 continuous cell lines tested, only those derived from the human prostate were growth inhibited by the pollen extract, whereas the non-prostate derived cells exhibited variable degrees of resistance to the T-60. The selectivity of the drug for the prostate cell lines was even more pronounced in the hormone-independent models, suggesting that there might be a place for the pollen extract in the control of abnormal growth in hormone-insensitive cells.