Time-lapse microscopic observation of non-dividing cells in cultured human osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line

ABSTRACTCancer stem cells resemble normal tissue-specific stem cells in many aspects, such as self-renewal and plasticity. Like their non-malignant counterparts, cancer stem cells are suggested to exhibit a relative quiescence. The established cancer cell lines reportedly harbor slow-proliferating cells that are positive for some cancer stem cells markers. However, the fate of these cells and their progeny remains unknown. We used time-lapse microscopy and the contrast-based segmentation algorithm to identify and monitor actively dividing and non-dividing cells in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line. Within the monitored field of view the non-dividing cells were represented by three cells that never divided, and one cell that attempted to divide, but failed cytokinesis, and later, after significantly prolonged division, produced the progeny with enlarged segmented nuclei, thus pointing to a possible mitotic catastrophe. Together, these cells initially constituted about 6.2% of the total number of seeded ce...