Primary cell cultures vs. cell lines
Two types of cell culture should be distinguished:
1. Primary cultures, which are obtained directly from an animal and can keep the differentiated state for a short period (days to weeks). Functionally differentiated primary cell cultures have a limited life span, and although maintenance of the differentiated properties has been improved by additives to the culture medium, components of the extracellular matrix or by different forms of co-culture (see Figures 2 and 3), cell specific functions will eventually decline.
2. Permanent cultures (e.g. HeLa, 3T3, MDCK), which have an unlimited proliferation capacity and which originated from embryos, tumors or transformed cells

Cells can proliferate and/or differentiate, both with different limitations, depending on the cell type studied (e.g. neurons). Numerous publications provide protocols for the isolation of different cell types, their culture conditions, and for the evaluation of the degree of differentiation. Much attention is presently given to stem cells (see our News section). Primitive pluripotent embryonic stem cells derived from post-mortem foetal tissue have been used in cell therapy studies to replace diseased tissues. Until recently it was difficult to isolate and culture stem cells from adult tissues other than bone marrow. However, the cell therapy field is rapidly expanding, and it appears that many tissues harbour adult stem cells that possess a much greater plasticity than previously thought. Adult stem cells may obviously also be used as a model system, and it is to be expected that they will receive more attention also in the veterinary sciences.


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