Human renal cell carcinoma xenograft: morphology, growth and chemosensitivities.

A primary human renal clear cell carcinoma has been developed as a xenograft (JDF-1). Passage 7 of the JDF-1 tumor retained the microscopic morphology of the primary tumor, electron micrographs have confirmed its epithelial characteristics and karyotyping of a subsequent passage has proved it is not a murine hybrid. Immunoperoxidase studies using a panel of murine monoclonal antibodies demonstrate an antigenic phenotype specific for human renal cancer. In vitro chemosensitivities of the JDF-1 tumor were determined by the double-layer soft-agar clonogenic assay method. JDF-1 showed no significant sensitivities to several standard chemotherapeutic agents, but alpha-2-interferon and difluoromethylornithine in combination synergistically inhibited its growth by 74 per cent.