Generation of an in vitro Intratumoral Heterogeneity Model by Lentiviral Fluorescent Labeling of Colon Cancer Cell Line DLD-1 Subclones

Purpose: Studying genomic changes during tumor progression has helped to understand the biology of many different cancers and has been the basis for targeted therapy strategies. However, resistance and differences in response to therapy in patients are still very important issues. One of the major underlying reasons is intratumoral cellular heterogeneity. Clones harbor mutations and/or epigenetic patterns providing a survival advantage under changing micro-environmental conditions are the main culprits of therapy resistance. Therefore, it is crucial to define and to study the properties and the contributions of these deviant subclones in vitro. In order to achieve that, we have generated a fluorescent intratumoral heterogeneity model of the colon cancer cell line DLD-1.