The life span of the cultured normal cell: Concepts derived from studies of human lymphoblasts

Abstract

There is substantial but not conclusive evidence that lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from normal individuals are made up of normal cells with an infinite life span. In contrast, similar cell lines that originated from the blood and tumor tissues of patients with malignant hematopoietic diseases had some characteristics of malignancy. These abnormal cell lines had one or more of these features: an abnormal karyotype, relatively high cloning efficiencies, and synthesis of an abnormal cell product. There was no difference in growth rates between normal and abnormal cell lines. There was no evidence of “aging” of the normal cell lines during continuous culture for more than 20 months. It seems reasonable to suggest that some criteria for normalcy for one kind of cultured human cells in a restricted environment may not necessarily apply to other kinds of such cells.