ME-180

The ME-180 cell line is an epithelial cell line established from a highly invasive squamous cell carcinoma, originally isolated from the omental metastasis of a cervical carcinoma in a 66-year-old White female patient. The carcinoma was characterized by irregular cell clusters with no significant keratinization and minimal necrosis. This cell line is particularly significant for cancer research, especially in studies involving cervical cancer and other forms of squamous cell carcinoma, due to its origin and aggressive nature. ME-180 cells are tumorigenic and have been shown to form well-differentiated epidermoid carcinomas when implanted in nude mice.

ME-180 cells have several unique properties, including a heteroploid karyotype with a subtriploid mode, indicating an unstable chromosomal arrangement. The cells exhibit typical epithelial morphology with numerous desmosomes and tonofibrils, and they do not exhibit contact inhibition, often leading to layered growth in culture. The cell line's growth is inhibited by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), making it useful for studies investigating the effects of inflammatory cytokines on tumor cells. Additionally, ME-180 cells contain human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA, with a higher homology to HPV-68 compared to HPV-18, which could be relevant for studies on HPV-related carcinogenesis.

ME-180 cells are also valuable in infectious disease research due to their sensitivity to various viruses. The cell line has been used to study the interaction with several viruses, including influenza and myxoviruses. ME-180 cells have shown the ability to form persistent infections with some myxoviruses, making them a useful model for studying viral latency and the long-term effects of viral infection on cancer cells. The combination of its cancerous origin, viral susceptibility, and specific growth characteristics make ME-180 a versatile tool in both oncology and virology research.

37°C, 5% CO₂, humidified atmosphere.

1. Confirm that the vial remains deeply frozen upon delivery, as cells are shipped on dry ice to maintain optimal temperatures during transit.

2. Upon receipt, either store the cryovial immediately at temperatures below -150°C to ensure the preservation of cellular integrity, or proceed to step 3 if immediate culturing is required.

3. For immediate culturing, swiftly thaw the vial by immersing it in a 37°C water bath with clean water and an antimicrobial agent, agitating gently for 40-60 seconds until a small ice clump remains.

4. Perform all subsequent steps under sterile conditions in a flow hood, disinfecting the cryovial with 70% ethanol before opening.

5. Carefully open the disinfected vial and transfer the cell suspension into a 15 ml centrifuge tube containing 8 ml of room-temperature culture medium, mixing gently.

6. Centrifuge the mixture at 300 x g for 3 minutes to separate the cells and carefully discard the supernatant containing residual freezing medium.

7. Gently resuspend the cell pellet in 10 ml of fresh culture medium. For adherent cells, divide the suspension between two T25 culture flasks; for suspension cultures, transfer all the medium into one T25 flask to promote effective cell interaction and growth.

8. Adhere to established subculture protocols for continued growth and maintenance of the cell line, ensuring reliable experimental outcomes.

Mycoplasma contamination is excluded using both PCR-based assays and luminescence-based mycoplasma detection methods.

To ensure there is no bacterial, fungal, or yeast contamination, cell cultures are subjected to daily visual inspections.

For long-term preservation, place vials in vapor-phase liquid nitrogen at about −150 to −196 °C. Storage at −80 °C is acceptable only as a short interim step before transfer to liquid nitrogen.

Cryopreserved cell lines are shipped on dry ice in validated, insulated packaging with sufficient refrigerant to maintain approximately −78 °C throughout transit. On receipt, inspect the container immediately and transfer vials without delay to appropriate storage.

At Cytion, we stand behind the quality and viability of our products. We guarantee that our cells will be viable at the start of culture for 60 days after shipment from our facilities. We assure that all materials conform to the specifications described in the Certificate of Analysis and/or Product Sheet.

For full details, please refer to our Warranty Statement.