Dr Roland Nardone - Open Letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services

Dr Roland Nardone, supported by a panel of cell culture experts submitted an open letter to Secretary Michael Leavitt of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The letter served as a call for action to combat the use of misidentified and cross-contaminated cell lines, highlighting the grave consequences of the continued failure of many users of cell cultures to take appropriate precautions to verify cell line identity. 

A copy of the Nardone Open Letter is freely available: Nardone Open Letter

Summary of Nardone Recommendations:

• Researchers using cell cultures must incorporate a specific cell line authentication protocol into their experimental framework. Cell line authentication would be required by granting agencies as a condition for the award of funds.
• Authentication would be required by journals as a condition for acceptance of research articles.
• Funding bodies would require that recipients operate to GCCP, Good Cell Culture Practice, analogous to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).