Cancer cell lines, namely, immortalized, also known as continuous, cell lines and primary cell cultures, have certain similarities and differences which require identifying. One feature which is common for both types of cell models is the tissue of origin both of them stem from, which means that to some degree, they share the same genetic makeup. Yet, it is clear that as the immortalized cell lines become subject to more passaging in vitro, they lose their cell specificity and develop genetic alterations and mutations.
Another difference between the two models is their life span, which for primary cells is finite, while for the continuous cell lines, it is unlimited. Additionally, the former are susceptible to contamination since they are obtained mechanically, while the latter are kept in a controlled environment. HeLa cells are one of the examples of continuous cell lines which were originally derived from cervical cancer cells (Mirabelli et al., 2019). An example of the primary cell culture is primary cell cultures obtained from a colorectal cancer tumor.
Both types of cell models have a variety of advantages and disadvantages, which ultimately determine their useful application in practice. Continuous cell lines are capable of providing a larger number of cells, can be easily controlled and managed, entail fewer expenses, and do not cause any ethical concerns. On the other hand, they tend to develop alterations which make them differ from their tissue of origin; they are difficult to establish and may lose the initial types of cancer present in the tissue.
Primary cell cultures better represent the original cells, which makes them perfect for developing personalized cancer treatments (Alexandrova et al., 2019). Yet, they demonstrate slow growth, which hinders the possibility of large-scale studies, have a short life-span, and increased sensitivity. In terms of biomedical research, they can be used to model 3D tissues and help understand cellular processes concerning disease-causing bacteria and the impact of drugs. While one of the research advantages of immortalized cell lines is their ability to be cloned and thus be utilized to repeat experiments multiple times.
References
Alexandrova, R., Dinev, D., Gavrilova-Valcheva, I., & Gavrilov, I. (2019). Cell cultures as model systems in breast cancer research. Merit Research Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences 7(2), 73-79. Web.
Mirabelli, P, Coppola, L, & Salvatore, M. (2019). Cancer cell lines are useful model systems for medical research. Cancers, 11(8), 1098–1116. Web.