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Rapid chemosensitivity assay with human normal and tumor cells in vitro

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Summary

Neutral red assay, as an index of cytotoxicity, has been applied to predictive screening of chemotherapeutic agents. Human hepatoma and melanoma tumor cells and normal melanocytes, keratinocytes and fibroblasts were incubated for 2, 24, and 48 h with graded concentrations of cis-platinum (0.1 to 80 μM), doxorubicin (0.01 to 100 μM), and 5-fluorouracil (1 to 1000 μM). Cells were most sensitive after 48 h. Tumor cells, based on 50% toxicity values, were 2–4 times more sensitive than the normal cells, except for cis-platinum, where only melanoma cells, as compared to normal melanocytes, showed a marked difference in cytotoxic response. Methotrexate (1 to 10 μM) toxicity could be reversed in the presence of 100 μM of leucovorin. This sensitive, rapid, and economical assay is suitable for preclinical screening and drug development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory Animal Research Center, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, 10021, New York, New York

    Ellen Borenfreund, Harvey Babich & Nieves Martin-Alguacil

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Yeshiva University, Stern College, 245 Lexington Avenue, 10016, New York, New York

    Harvey Babich

Authors
  1. Ellen Borenfreund
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  2. Harvey Babich
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  3. Nieves Martin-Alguacil
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Additional information

This work has been supported, in part, by funds from Schering Corporation, New Jersey, and Chevron Environmental Health Center, Inc., California.

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Borenfreund, E., Babich, H. & Martin-Alguacil, N. Rapid chemosensitivity assay with human normal and tumor cells in vitro. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 26, 1030–1034 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02624436

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02624436

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