Attempted Long-Term Culture of Human Bronchial Mucosa and Bronchial Neoplasms23

Abstract

Fragments of adult human bronchial tissue have been maintained in tissue culture for long periods. The epithelial mucosa may retain its ciliary activity for as long as 135 days when grown on perforated cellophane, and not submerged, in a medium composed of 20 percent human placental serum, 40 percent medium 199, and 40 percent Tyrode's solution containing added antibiotics. Some mucus material is retained in the mucous glands for as long as 3 weeks; however, evidence is not available as to whether secretory activity persists. In contrast to the behavior of normal ciliated epithelium, bronchogenic (chiefly squamous-cell) carcinomas have resisted not only propagation but also attempts at long-term survival, by tissue-culture techniques. Histological sections of tissue from bronchogenic carcinoma show entrapped areas of normal ciliated epithelium. Survival and outgrowths of cells from this normal tissue have been noted frequently during unsuccessful attempts to culture neoplastic cells.