DEVELOPMENT OF AN AGAR-METHYL CELLULOSE CLONOGENIC ASSAY FOR CELLS IN TRANSITIONAL CELL-CARCINOMA OF THE HUMAN BLADDER

Abstract

A clonogenic assay for progenitor cells in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder was developed. Colony growth was demonstrated from cells obtained from surgical biopsies and from bladder barbotages. EM and karyotypic evidence support the contention that these progenitors represent a part of the population maintaining the tumor in vivo. Colony growth occurred in 9 of 11 surgical biopsy samples and in 6 of 6 bladder barbotage samples. Plating efficiency ranged up to 0.7%, and colony size was in some instances > 1000 cells. The assay appears potentially useful for analysis of the biology of human transitional cell carcinoma.