WM373 Viable Cells

Cells are sterile, validated by short tandem repeat profiling, and are tested as negative for mycoplasma. It is recommended that cell lines are tested for mycoplasma contamination and short tandem repeat (STR) profiling every 10 passages or each time a frozen seed stock is made. See cell culture protocol for additional details. WM373 is a metastatic human melanoma cell line that displays a pigmented morphology and grows in tight adherent dense colonies. This cell line was established from a left upper back metastasis site in a 49-year-old male with level IV superficial spreading melanoma. This cell line features the specific V600E (Val600Glu) mutation at codon 600 in the BRAF gene. This mutation causes constitutively active kinase activity and activation of MEK and ERK signaling pathway. WM373 cells produce xenograft tumors when injected into immunocompromised mice.