Establishment and Characterization of a Telomerase-Immortalized Sheep Trophoblast Cell Line

Figure 5

HTERT-STCs did not undergo malignant transformation. (a) hTERT-STCs did not form cell colonies after > 2 weeks of culture (scale bar, 50 μm). (b) HeLa cells which served as positive control formed cell colonies in the same cultivation time (scale bar, 50 μm). (c) The organizational structure of nude mice that were injected with hTERT-STCs showing no abnormal cell proliferation at the vaccination site after 2 months. Epidermis and dermis of the skin of the injection site in nude mice (A). Normal subcutaneous connective tissue (B) (scale bar, 25 μm). The selected area is enlarged 5 times in small panels. (d) The organizational structure of nude mice that were injected with HeLa cells, showing a large number of abnormally proliferating tumor cells at the vaccination site after 3 weeks. Epidermis and dermis of the skin of the injection site in nude mice (A). Normal subcutaneous connective tissue (B). Subcutaneous connective tissue with a large number of proliferating tumor cells (C) (scale bar, 25 μm). The selected area is enlarged 5 times in small panel. hTERT-STCs: human telomerase reverse transcriptase-sheep trophoblast cell line.

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