ECACC and Human Genetic Research

The European Collection of Cell Cultures (ECACC) was first established within CAMR, Salisbury, UK in 1984 and has grown to be one of the largest animal cell culture collections in the world. ECACC now supplies authenticated cell lines worldwide and provides a wide range of cell culture services.

Whereas the ECACC core business is cryopreservation, cell banking and the supply of authenticated cell lines the operation has progressively diversified and now offers a comprehensive range of services to cell scientists both in the commercial and academic sectors. These services include Patent and Safe deposits, screening for microbiological contaminants, authentication by DNA profiling and a comprehensive program of training courses. ECACC also undertakes contract cell culture process upscale development and the manufacture of cell products for research use.

The Human Genetic Collection

The fastest-growing service within the ECACC range is its Human Genetic Collection. This is based on processes introduced into, and subsequently developed by ECACC in the late 1980’s, for the immortalization of human lymphocytes. This process essentially comprises the separation of lymphocytes from samples of human peripheral blood and their transformation into lymphoblastoid cell lines by treatment with the tumourigenic Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). EBV transformation of human lymphocytes to form a cell line that can be continuously propagated provides an indispensable means of expanding the limited amount of cellular material that can be separated from a small volume blood specimen. This expanded cell stock can be banked and cryopreserved as a source of single donor cells and / or extracted DNA that can be made available indefinitely.

Since 1989 a number of major human genetic research programs, such as the British Diabetes Association-funded Warren I and II studies and the long-running, MRC-funded Human Genome Mapping Project, have depended upon the ECACC EBV transformation service. A cell line manufactured from a phenotypically characterized donor, who possibly has a rare genetic disorder, can be used to provide an almost limitless supply of DNA for distribution to research groups worldwide. Furthermore a cryopreserved bank of these cells can be resuscitated many years later so that investigation may be resumed with the benefit of improved technologies and scientific knowledge.

The ability to expand the amount of cellular DNA available from a small donor sample means that scientific investigations will not be materials limited. It is theoretically possible to achieve this expansion by biochemical means such as "whole genome PCR", but to date this has not proved practicable. Cell line DNA is typically of high quality and a viable cell offers the opportunity to examine other types of molecule, such as RNA or cellular proteins, if required at a later date.

The ECACC Human Genetic Collection now comprises more than 40,000 single donor lymphocyte stabilates, more than 50% of which are transformed cell lines. This collection represents more than 700 clinical disorders such as breast cancer, Alzheimers disease, schizophrenia and psoriasis.