Characteristics of a Human Diploid Cell Designated MRC-5

THE stability and integrity of the human foetal cell strain WI-38, which has been well demonstrated in the past ten years 1–3 , and its susceptibility to viruses infective for man 1,4 , explain the value of such material for the isolation of viruses and in the development of vaccines 5–8 . We have developed another strain of cells, also derived from foetal lung tissue, taken from a 14-week male foetus removed for psychiatric reasons from a 27 year old woman with a genetically normal family history and no sign of neoplastic disease both at abortion and for at least three years afterwards. The criteria used for characterizing the cells are those recommended internationally 2,9 .