Novel Cell Lines Derived by Long-Term Culture of Primary Uveal Melanomas

Aims: Uveal melanomas with or without monosomy 3 have different metastatic potentials. Therefore, it would be of great experimental importance to obtain cell lines of both groups - established and characterized under the same conditions. Methods: Long-term culture of biopsies derived from untreated primary uveal melanomas was performed, and the status of chromosome 3 in the tumour was determined. Characterization by immunocytochemistry and in vitro assays for cell migration, vasculogenic cord formation and proliferation were performed. Results: Establishment of cell lines succeeded in 6 out of 128 uveal melanomas. No histopathological feature was predictive for cultivation success. Two out of 4 cell lines derived from tumours with monosomy 3 were invasive in vitro. Both cell lines with disomy 3 showed higher proliferation levels (p = 0.002). Conclusions: The in vitro tendency for invasion did not correlate with the proliferative behaviour of uveal melanoma cell lines, but was partly associated with monosomy of chromosome 3. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel