WM3854 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. WM3854 is a human metastatic melanoma cell line that displays a mesenchymal morphology. This cell line was established from a heavily pigmented metastatic site (right upper flank of back) in a 64-year-old male with superficial and deep inguinal nodes forming a 3.0 cm mass. This cell line contains a Q61L mutation at position 61 in the N-RAS gene which causes increased signaling via the extracellular signal-regulated MAPK/ERK kinase pathways to enhance proliferation. This cell line is known to be wild type for BRAF, c-KIT and CDK4. WM3854 cells produce xenograft tumors when injected into immunocompromised mice.