A Comparison of X-ray Survival Curves Obtained from Cells Cultured in Vitro with Those of the Parent Strain Assayed in Vivo

Summary

Silini and Hornsey (1962) measured the survival of a strain of mouse ascites tumour cells after x-irradiation using an in vivo technique in which surviving cells were assayed in very young mice. Since then the same strain of cells has been cultured in vitro for 2 years and during this time survival of the cells after x-irradiation has been measured by the in vitro method of Puck and Marcus. The results obtained by the two different methods were in close agreement which suggests that:

(1) The in vivo results were not complicated by an antigenic response from the young mice.

(2) After irradiation these cells behave in a similar manner whether they are grown in vitro or in vivo.