摘要Aim: Murine tumour cell lines have been used in thousands of studies. Strikingly, it is rather the rule than exception for most of them that not much is known about their genetic characteristics. The squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell line KLN 205 is such an example. KLN 205 cells have not been studied yet for karyotype or acquired copy number variations (CNVs), but they have been used as models for (metastatic) lung cancer, lung-SCC, non-small cell lung cancer, tongue cancer and subcutaneous SCC. Here, it was characterised cytogenomically for the first time. Methods: The cell line KLN 205 was characterised comprehensively by molecular cytogenetics using multicolour banding as well as molecular karyotyping. Based on these results, a map of the imbalances and breakpoints determined in the murine genome was translated to the human genome. Results: Here, it could be shown that this > 40-year-old cell line has a stable, approximately tetraploid karyotype comprising 77-82 chromosomes. However, there are few structural chromosomal aberrations: only six derivatives involving chromosomes 2, 3, 5, 9, 10 and/or 19 could be found. According to the literature, SCCs derived from different human tissues, as well as lung SCC and non-small cell lung cancer, display overall similar CNV patterns. Conclusion: Thus, according to the genetic profile found here, KLN 205 can be applied as a general model for human SCC; it is also suited as a model for lung cancer in general. Further molecular genetic characterisation of KLN 205 cell line may find more lung- and/or SCC-specific alterations.