PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - FERRARETTO, ANITA
AU  - GRAVAGHI, CLAUDIA
AU  - DONETTI, ELENA
AU  - COSENTINO, STEFANIA
AU  - DONIDA, BIANCA M.
AU  - BEDONI, MARZIA
AU  - LOMBARDI, GIOVANNI
AU  - FIORILLI, AMELIA
AU  - TETTAMANTI, GUIDO
TI  - New Methodological Approach to Induce a Differentiation Phenotype in Caco-2 Cells Prior to Post-confluence Stage
DP  - 2007 Nov 01
TA  - Anticancer Research
PG  - 3919--3925
VI  - 27
IP  - 6B
4099  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/27/6B/3919.short
4100  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/27/6B/3919.full
SO  - Anticancer Res2007 Nov 01; 27
AB  - Background: Various differentiation-inducing agents or harvesting of spontaneously late post-confluence cultures have been used to differentiate the human colon carcinoma Caco-2 cell line. We report a new procedure to generate pre-confluent subcultures of Caco-2 population at various stages of differentiation without altering culture conditions. Materials and Methods: Ultrastructural analysis, cell proliferation activity and biochemical markers of differentiation were evaluated at different passages. Results: Subcultures of Caco-2 cells at pre-confluence, exhibiting progressive acquisition of a more benign differentiation phenotype, were generated. Early passages of Caco-2 cells showed a well-developed brush border and incomplete junctional apparatus; subsequent subcultures yielded cell populations with well-developed junctions similar to those of small intestinal cells. Conclusion: These culture conditions represent a new versatile model not only to progressively induce the differentiation program in Caco-2 cells at pre-confluence without changes of culture media, but also to explore mechanistic modes of drug transport and tumor development. Copyright© 2007 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved