Radiation Induced Transformation in Primary Differentiated Thyroid Cultures

A technique has been developed where long-term differentiated cell cultures can be established from human and animal (sheep) thyroid glands. The cultures retain morphological and functional characteristics of in vivo thyroid tissue. These include iodide trapping, T4 production and PAS positive follicle development. The cultures have been irradiated and subcultured to provide data on survival following exposure to various doses of125 Iodide or60 Cobalt. More recently, a technique has been developed which allows the development of several endpoints of in vitro transformation to be monitored in the irradiated cultures.