The molecular landscape of the University of Michigan laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell line panel.

Background: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas (LSCCs) have a high risk of recurrence and poor prognosis. Patient-derived cancer cell lines remain important preclinical models for advancement of new therapeutic strategies, and comprehensive characterization of these models is vital in the precision medicine era.

Methods: We performed exome and transcriptome sequencing as well as copy number analysis of a panel of LSCC-derived cell lines that were established at the University of Michigan and are used in laboratories worldwide.

Results: We observed a complex array of alterations consistent with those reported in The Cancer Genome Atlas head and neck squamous cell carcinoma project, including aberrations in PIK3CA, EGFR, CDKN2A, TP53, and NOTCH family and FAT1 genes. A detailed analysis of FAT family genes and associated pathways showed disruptions to these genes in most cell lines.

Conclusions: The molecular profiles we have generated indicate that as a whole, this panel recapitulates the molecular diversity observed in patients and will serve as useful guides in selecting cell lines for preclinical modeling.