TY - JOUR T1 - Further evidence to support the melanocytic origin of MDA-MB-435 JF - Molecular Pathology JO - Mol Pathol SP - 294 LP - 299 DO - 10.1136/mp.55.5.294 VL - 55 IS - 5 AU - G Ellison AU - T Klinowska AU - R F R Westwood AU - E Docter AU - T French AU - J C Fox Y1 - 2002/10/01 UR - http://mp.bmj.com/content/55/5/294.abstract N2 - Background/Aims: Until recently, the cell line MDA-MB-435 was widely accepted as originating from a breast cancer. However, microarray derived data have suggested that this cell line may in fact originate from an occult melanoma. This study was designed to investigate this hypothesis further. Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate the tissue of origin of two sublines of MDA-MB-435 (MDA-MB-435 S and MDA-MB-435 HGF). The expression of a panel of genes typical of breast cells or melanocytes was analysed. Results: The MDA-MD-435 cell lines expressed none of the genes characteristic of breast cancer cells but did express several genes commonly expressed by melanocytes. Conclusions: These results strongly suggest that MDA-MB-435 is indeed of melanoma origin. ER -