Effective method for the isolation and proliferation of primary lung cancer cells from patient lung tissues.

We have developed a technique for isolating and culturing primary lung cancer cells extracted from patient tissue to facilitate anti-cancer drug development. Patient-derived lung cancer tissues were mechanically dissociated to 40-100 μm. Dispase was then used to isolate cultured lung cancer cell populations, which were re-plated on Matrigel-coated dishes containing N2-supplemented medium and growth factors. This method allows pure populations of primary non-small cell lung cancer cells to be grown in vitro. The isolated cells exhibited hallmark cancerous properties such as abnormal chromosomes and in vivo tumor formation. The cell lines generated through this procedure may help to advance our knowledge of certain forms of lung cancer and may also be useful for developing patient-specific anti-cancer drug screening procedures.