Database Commons

a catalog of worldwide biological databases

The European Searchable Tumour line Database (ESTDAB) ( http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ipd/estdab ) is a freely available and fully searchable database of melanoma-derived cell lines, which have been characterised for over 250 immunologically relevant markers by a consortium of European scientists. The database is linked to a cell bank, which can provide melanoma cell lines to non-profit investigators for a nominal handling charge. All cells are fully HLA typed at the genomic and surface expression levels. The expression of a number of surface antigens, apoptotic markers, tumour-associated antigens and extracellular matrix proteins has also been determined. Cytokine secretion has been tested and polymorphisms in cytokine genes have been identified. Glycans at the cell surface were identified and glycosyltransferase activity quantified. Cell lines with a particular constellation of these parameters can be sought online via the ESTDAB interface, which is included as part of the Immuno-Polymorphism Database (IPD) section of the European Bioinformatics Institute's (EBI) website.

Cancer immunologists working in humans often require panels of tumour cell lines expressing different combinations of HLA alleles and other characteristics. Sources of cell lines are usually large cell banks carrying little immunologically relevant information on the available cells and limited numbers of different lines from the same type of tumour. Access to cells with desired combinations of characteristics is, therefore, difficult. Here, we describe an interactive database of a large collection of melanoma cell lines which have been extensively characterised for HLA genotype and surface expression, oncogene and tumour antigen expression, cytokine secretion, surface molecule expression, adhesion to extracellular matrix components, cytokine gene polymorphisms and other factors of interest to immunologists. This enables investigators to search for cells with particular constellations of HLA alleles, tumour antigens, etc., and then request these from the cell bank. This European Searchable Tumour Cell Line and Data Bank (ESTDAB) was established as a Research Infrastructure of the European Commission. For access to the databank and further details, please go to http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ipd/estdab/ .