Human recipient cell for oncogene transfection studies.

Abstract

We used human oncogene DNA to transform the nontumorigenic, revertant, human osteosarcoma cell line HOS TE-85 clone 5 (ATCC CRL 1543) to tumorigenicity in athymic nude mice with latency periods as short as 3 weeks. These cells were also transformed by genetic markers in genomic DNA samples. Because of their low rate of spontaneous tumor formation and the simplicity of culturing them, HOS cells provide a human cell alternative to NIH 3T3 murine fibroblasts for oncogene transfection studies.