Description
The 3T6-Swiss albino cell line, established by G. Todaro and H. Green in 1963 from disaggregated Swiss mouse embryos, is well-known in vitro model for cell growth and differentiation. These cells are useful for studying extracellular matrix biology and tissue engineering because they secrete collagen and hyaluronic acid. 21% of 3T6-Swiss albino cells have an extra large chromosome with a terminal centromere and 21% have minute chromosomes, indicating an unstable karyotype in the stemline range (78-81), which makes them a great tool for studying chromosomal instability. The 3T6-Swiss Albino cells have also been used to study oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Other properties of the 3T6-Swiss Albino cell line are that they are non-tumorigenic and highly homogeneous. The 3T6-Swiss Albino cell line is useful for studying basic cellular biology, extracellular matrix biology, chromosomal instability, and cancer therapeutics and tissue engineering