Cell Line Cross-Contamination and Accidental Co-Culture

The cell line cross contamination and co-culture is a major issue in animal cell culture that invalidates the research results, compromises the comparison of results in different laboratories and diminishes the use of animal cell culture for medical purpose and as a viable alternative and an effective tool in understanding the fundamental cell processes. It reduces the quality of the research and may lead to unusable therapeutic products. In stem cell therapy, the engraftment of undifferentiated or incorrectly differentiated cells has been reported to cause substantial tumorigenic or immunogenic risks to the recipient. However, the problem of the undesired or accidental co-culture can be resolved by increasing awareness and following standard procedures, including inspecting regularly the quality of cell lines used in cell culture laboratories. This review provides an insight into accidental co-culture as a result of cross contamination with a brief account of common cross contaminating cell lines and appropriate measures to diminish the chances of cross contamination and accidental co-culture.