Cell Line Genomic DNAs for the Molecular Diagnosis of Cancer

Large-scale cancer genome programs have generated a rich data set comprising genetic abnormalities observed in thousands of clinical patient tumors, which provides a major opportunity for the molecular detection of cancer. However, the lack of controls for molecular tests has been a challenge. Because of the reproducible nature of the cell lines, genomic DNAs of fully characterized and authenticated cell lines provide a solution.

Genomic DNAs were extracted from over 70 commonly used human cancer cell lines derived from the breast, lung, colon, and pancreas, as well as hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue. Cancer gene mutations were identified by next-generation sequencing. Gene copy number changes were analyzed using the qBiomarker Copy Number PCR Assays kit (QIAGEN). Moreover, the selected cell lines were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), Western blot, and immunofluorescence (IF) staining to verify gene and protein expression mutation.