Establishment and characterization of a highly metastatic human osteosarcoma cell line from osteosarcoma lung metastases

•ZOSL-1 was the first report that isolated directly from lung metastases of OS.•ZOSL-1 cells were highly metastatic, and the lung metastasis rate was 100% in vivo.•ZOSL-1 cells were high expression in GNAS, SCARB1 and CXCR4 genes. OS (Osteosarcoma) is the most common malignant tumor in adolescents, and lung metastasis limits its therapeutic outcome. The present study aimed to establish a highly metastatic human OS cell line directly from lung metastases and characterize its biological functions. In this study, epithelioid tumor cells with large nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio and abundant organelles were obtained by the tissue mass adherent and repeated digestion adherent method and named ZOSL-1 cells. ZOSL-1 cells had the potential to proliferate in vitro with a doubling time of 39.28 ± 3.04 h and migrate with or without a matrix. ZOSL-1 cells were tumorigenic in vivo, and had the ability to develop lung metastasis after intratibial injection. ZOSL-1 cells expressed the osteogenic-related genes osteocalcin and osteopontin. In addition, the expression of ZOSL-1 in Fas cell surface death receptor (FAS), CD44 molecule (CD44), GNAS complex locus (GNAS), scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SCARB1), C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), cadherin 11 (CDH11), neurofibromin 2 (NF2) and ezrin (EZR) genes may be related to its transfer efficiency. Taken together, these results indicated the high metastatic capability and important biological functions of ZOSL-1 cells. ZOSL-1 establishment provided a relevant model for the study of osteosarcoma lung metastasis.