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UK Health Security Agency

VCaP

VCaP

Catalogue No.

06020201

Cell Line Name

VCaP

Cell Line Description

This Vertebral-Cancer of the Prostate (VCaP) cell line was established from prostate cancer tissue harvested from a metastatic lesion to a lumbar vertebral body of a patient with hormone refractory prostate cancer. The cells are reported to express large quantities of prostate specific antigen (PSA). This cell line also expresses prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), cytokeratin-18 and the androgen receptor, and is androgen sensitive in vitro and in vivo. This cell line offers a cell-based model system of human prostate cancer. The cells are tumourigenic in SCID mice. The cell line was originally established using a 1:1 mix of DMEM:Ham's F12 (1:1) + 2mM Glutamine + 10% Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS) supplemented with 5ug/ml insulin, however with continuous passage the cells were weaned off supplements to grow in DMEM:Ham's F12 (1:1) + 2mM Glutamine + 10% Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS).

Access Cell line profile for this product.

Characteristics

Receptors

Androgen receptor

Tissue of Origin

Prostate metastasis

DNA profile (STR Profile)

Amelogenin: X,Y
CSF1PO: 10,12
D5S818: 12
D7S820: 9,12
D13S317: 11,12
D16S539: 9
TH01: 9.3
TPOX: 8,11
vWA: 18,19

Karyotype

Refer to reference (Korenchuk et al., 2001)

Disease

Prostate Cancer

Culture Conditions

Cell Type

Epithelial

Subculture Routine

This cell line is slow growing with a doubling time of 5-6 days and requires more specific culture conditions than other prostate cancer cell lines. It is sensitive to androgens and can often take a 2 week or more for cells to reach a 50% confluence, at which point the cells exhibit with a dense mixture of adherent cells, floating clusters and debris. VCaP cells can take 2 days or more to attach post-resuscitation and after subculture. The initial cultures of the cells may grow better in a T-25 flasks compared to larger flasks. Do not discard floating cells, gently centrifuge them at 100xg for 3 minutes and add them back to the adherent population. As the cell culture establishes and proliferates it will grow as flattened epithelial-like colonies of tightly packed cells. Split sub-confluent cultures (70-80%) 1:2 i.e. seeding at 4-8 x10⁴ cells/cm² using 0.05% trypsin; 5% CO₂; 37°C. Pellet cells by centrifugation and aspirate the supernatant after inactivation of trypsin with serum containing medium at each subculture.

Culture Medium

DMEM:Ham's F12 (1:1) + 2mM Glutamine + 10% Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS).

Growth Mode

Adherent

Additional Info

Depositor

Professor Kenneth Pienta, Departments of Urology and Internal Medicine, University fo Michigan Medical Center, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Country of Origin

United States

Hazard Group (ACDP)

Hazard Group (ACDP) 2

Applications

References

Korenchuk et al., (2001) VCaP, a cell-based model system of human prostate cancer. In Vivo 15, 163-8.

Available Formats

  • Frozen
  • DNA-5µg (100ng/µl)

If use of this culture results in a scientific publication, it should be cited in the publication as: VCaP (ECACC 06020201).

Unless specified otherwise, at ECACC we routinely handle all of our cell lines at containment level 2 in accordance with the ACDP guidelines (Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens) (UK). All cell cultures have the potential to carry as yet unidentified adventitious agents. It is the responsibility of the end user to ensure that their facilities comply with biosafety regulations for their own country. ACDP Guidance: Biological agents: Managing the risks in laboratories and healthcare premises.

The Culture Collections represent deposits of cultures from world-wide sources. While every effort is made to ensure details distributed by Culture Collections are accurate, Culture Collections cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in the data supplied. References where quoted are mainly attributed to the establishment of the cell culture and not for any specific property of the cell line, therefore further references should be obtained regarding cell culture characteristics. Passage numbers where given act only as a guide and Culture Collections does not guarantee the passage number stated will be the passage number received by the customer.

Cultures supplied by Culture Collections are for research purposes only. Enquiries regarding the commercial use of a cell line are referred to the depositor of the cell line. Some cell lines have additional special release conditions such as the requirement for a material transfer agreement to be completed by the potential recipient prior to the supply of the cell line. Please view the Terms & Conditions of Supply for more information.