Human tumor cell lines have played a fundamental role in our understanding of cancer genetics and physiology and have been used extensively in the discovery and characterization of new chemotherapeutic agents. Using a resource panel of 60 cell lines to represent the most common adult tumors, the Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP) of the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) has screened over 500,000 compounds for their ability to inhibit growth in vitro. Molecular characterization of these cell lines has resulted in the generation of a large volume of genetic and molecular screening data that add substantially to their utility. It is accepted that the clinical predictive value of a cell line, as defined by in vitro drug activity translating into Phase II clinical trial efficacy in patients, may be limited due to incomplete representation of the primary tumor by the cell line. However, when used under the right framework, cell line-derived data have been shown to be of predictive value for tumors such as non-small cell lung cancer, breast, ovary, and colon cancers. In addition, data suggest that preclinical compound-oriented screens may be useful predictors in hematological malignancies.
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