Choosing the right cell line for breast cancer research

Abstract

Breast cancer is a complex and heterogeneous disease. Gene expression profiling has contributed significantly to our understanding of this heterogeneity at a molecular level, refining taxonomy based on simple measures such as histological type, tumour grade, lymph node status and the presence of predictive markers like oestrogen receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) to a more sophisticated classification comprising luminal A, luminal B, basal-like, HER2-positive and normal subgroups. In the laboratory, breast cancer is often modelled using established cell lines. In the present review we discuss some of the issues surrounding the use of breast cancer cell lines as experimental models, in light of these revised clinical classifications, and put forward suggestions for improving their use in translational breast cancer research.

Figure 1

Cell morphology of cell lines grown in two-dimensional and three-dimensional cultures. Two-dimensional culture of (a) luminal A T47D and (b) HER2-positive MDA-MB-453 cell lines grown on tissue culture plastic. T47D cells demonstrate a tightly cohesive cobblestone appearance, whereas MDA-MB-453 cells have an elongated and spindly appearance. (c) T47D and (d) MDA-MB-453 cell lines cultured in three dimensions as previously described [46]. T47D cells form tightly cohesive mass structures displaying robust cell-cell adhesions, whereas MDA-MB-453 cells form loosely cohesive grape-like structures consistent with morphology observed by Kenny and colleagues [38].