The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing is an academic center affiliated with the Division of Toxicological Sciences in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

 

Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Research Grants 1993-1994

Development of a Characterized Human Proximal Tubule Cell Line

Lorraine C. Racusen, MD
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Racusen and colleagues have characterized clones of human renal proximal tubular cells which were immortalized by exposure to an adeno 12/SV40 virus. Clone 8 has been selected for further propagation and characterization and has been purified by immunodissection using a monoclonal antibody. The investigator will assess ultrastructural, biochemical, and transport properties of this clone under optimal growth conditions. Toxic effects on morphology and function will be assessed in the transformed cells and in non-transformed cultured human proximal tubule cells to validate the immortalized cell line as an in vitro model for toxicity testing.