A PhD student sustained a needlestick injury today from a hollow bore needle
attached to a syringe which had been used to draw up a solution containing
cells from a cancer cell line (SCC-25, derived from a 70 year old man with
squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue). The cell line is a hypertriploid
human cell line which is tumorigenic in nude mice (apparently). The injury
was deep, but she was wearing gloves and followed the necessary first aid
procedures.
Our feeling was that the risk of an adverse effect is small, as the
recipients immune system would reject and eliminate any cells injected
(which had previously been lysed), and that the risk of any prophylaxis
would probably greatly outweigh any theoretical benefit.
Has anyone any experience of anything similar, or any advice on sources of
information? Are we missing anything in the assessment of risk?
Paul Grime
Department of Occupational Health & Safety
King's College Hospital.
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