Effect of Heterologous, Homologous, and Autologous Serums on Human Normal and Malignant Cells In Vitro23

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Abstract
Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of autologous serum and Eagle's basal medium on primary short-term cultures of human malignant tissue. Such data would be useful in a long-range tissue-culture and clinical program in a comparison of the effects of certain chemotherapeutic agents on a tumor, both in vivo and in vitro, from the same patient. Forty-one tissue-culture series of “normal” and malignant tissues were included in a study comparing the effects of heterologous or horse serum, homologous or pooled human serum, and autologous serum, each combined with Eagle's basal medium, on the maintenance and growth of cells in vitro. Of 21 normal and malignant culture series, 19 exhibited better outgrowth characteristics in autologous serum in Eagle's medium as compared to cultures in horse serum with Eagle's medium. Autologous serum cultures in autologous serum plus Eagle's medium exhibited markedly less fibrinolysis. Sixteen series, which included normal and malignant tissues, generally exhibited better outgrowths in medium with autologous serum as compared to sister cultures in medium with pooled human serum. There was more than a twofold increase in the number of typical tumor cell types in medium with autologous serum. Individual tissue types displayed specific rates of migration and growth when they were cultured in the same percent of serum. However, cultures grew best in either Seitz-filtered or unfiltered autologous serum. Certain cell types, viz., leiomyosarcoma and breast carcinoma, required as much as 50 percent autologous serum added to Eagle's medium for even limited growth in vitro. Of 52 tissue-culture drug series, 9 exhibited an increased sensitivity to actinomycin D, methotrexate (amethopterin), CB 1348 (chlorambucil), CB 3025 (phenylalanine mustard), and dihydro E-73 in horse or pooled human serum. One series, a melanoma, exhibited an increased sensitivity to dihydro E-73 in autologous serum.

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