Lee et al., 2006. Tumor stem cells derived from glioblastomas cultured in bFGF and EGF more closely mirror the phenotype and genotype of primary tumors than do serum-cultured cell lines. Cancer Cell. 9 (5), 391-403. PMID-16697959; Full-Text Link: Cell
In this peer-reviewed research article, Lee et al., 2006 have analyzed and compared the characteristics of cells isolated from the same primary glioblastoma tumors, but grown and maintained under different sets of conditions, one used for isolation and maintenance of neural stem cells (serum-free growth medium containing bFGF and EGF) while the other used for classical glioma cell lines (serum-supplemented growth medium).
Authors concluded that those cells which are grown and maintained in a set of growth conditions used for neuronal stem cell culture retain the properties of original tumor cells with respect to gene expression and genomic abnormalities, and the tumors derived from these cells in immunocompromised mice also closely mirror the original primary parental tumors.