How to choose cell line - (Nov/25/2014 )

I'm just working with cell line,( prostate cancer) for my anticancer project. I just wonder how do peoples choose the right cell line for research? i read from some journals the type of cell that usually been used, but what the characteristics that is important to look at? from my reading, i choose adherent cell line (DU 145, PC-3 and LNCAP). The characteristic that i most like are of course easy to grow, non resistant to apoptosis (LNCAP is resistant) and can work well in my research.

The most essential thing is that the system you are using is a model for the thing that you are studying. In the case of prostate cancer, you should use a prostate cancer cell line, preferably one as near to "normal" prostate cancer as you can get. However, cell lines are almost never "normal" as the conditions they are cultured under don't really mimic the conditions in the body, so in that case, choose one that fits your model (which ones express cellular markers that you want, or, undergo processes that you want to study?).

If you are going to study prostate cancer, the first thing you need to consider about is to choose a suitable transgenic animal model. Transgenic mice provide an ideal animal model system to study the molecular basis of transformation of normal prostatic cells and the factors influencing the progression to metastatic prostate cancer.

cell line                       source                                                                 Media Cell line Source requirementsa

   PC3                  Lumbar metastasis                                                      B or D (ATCCb  recommendation)

  DU-145             Central nervous system                                    B or E (ATCC 20 metastasis  recommendation)

 LNCaP        Lymph node metastasis in Caucasian male                                              G or B 

i hope this can help your research and if you can understand their function , i think your study will work well.

It is not a big problem. With the rapid development of biotechnology, you can easily find whatever cell lines you want in the market. But at the same time, you indeed should worry about the quality. Here are some resources about prostate cancer cell lines. There are so many information, so I just couldn't give you a summarize. Hope they can be of some help.  

http://creativebiolabs.blogspot.hk/2015/03/choosing-high-yield-vector-system-to.html