LIM cell lines: Australian models of colorectal cancer from a cell culture pioneer

Dr Robert Whitehead was an Australian cell culture pioneer, working from the 1970s onward to optimise cell culture conditions and establish unique cell line models.

The LIM series of cell lines was established by Dr Whitehead and his colleagues at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne.

LIM cell lines come from sporadic and inherited cases of colorectal cancer, and from primary and metastatic tumours.

CellBank Australia distributes eight LIM cell lines, all derived from patients with colorectal cancer.  LIM 1863 and LIM 2537 are the newest additions to the catalogue.

Work from the Whitehead laboratory shows that LIM 1863 forms floating organoids, which can spontaneously differentiate into crypt-like structures (Whitehead et al., 1987; PMID 3567898).

Deposit of the LIM cell lines at CellBank Australia ensures that these unique cultures remain available for colorectal cancer research.

LIM cell lines available through CellBank Australia

• LIM 1215: Derived from an omental metastasis in a 34 year old male with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer. Cells are loosely adherent in culture.
• LIM 1863: Derived from a primary lesion in a 74 year old female with sporadic carcinoma of the ileocaecal valve. Cells form floating organoids in culture. NEW
• LIM 1899: Derived from a primary lesion in a 45 year old male with sporadic colon carcinoma (columnar cell adenocarcinoma). Cells are adherent in culture.
• LIM 2099: Derived from a hepatic metastasis in a male of unknown age with colon carcinoma (moderately differentiated sclerosing adenocarcinoma). Cells are adherent in culture.
• LIM 2405: Derived from a primary lesion in a 73 year old male with colon carcinoma (poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the caecum). Cells are adherent in culture.
• LIM 2537: Derived from a primary lesion in a 73 year old male with colon carcinoma (transverse colon). Cells are adherent but can form organoids at high density. NEW
• LIM 2550: Derived from a person of unknown age and sex with colon carcinoma. Cells grow as floating and loose aggregates with some adherent cells.
• LIM 2551: Derived from a primary lesion in a 33 year old male with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (transverse colon). Cells grow as loose aggregates.