Mission and Organization

The Wistar Institute has been dedicated to expanding the boundaries of our knowledge of biology and medicine for more than a century. Founded in 1892 as the first US institution devoted to medical research and training, Wistar has evolved from its beginnings as an anatomical teaching museum to its present-day status as an international leader in basic biomedical research. In 1972, The Wistar Institute was designated a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center in basic research – a distinction it holds to this day.

Wistar discoveries have led to the development of vaccines for such diseases as rabies and rubella, the identification of genes associated with breast, lung, and prostate cancer, and the development of monoclonal antibodies and other significant research technologies and tools.

The cell lines in The Wistar Institute collection are made available for non-commercial research conducted at academic and government research centers. Anyone who wishes to use these cell lines for commercial purposes (including internal research at for-profit companies) should contact the Office of Business Development at Wistar (www.wistar.org) for licensing information.

Organization and Contact Information 

The Wistar Institute 

Office of Business Development
Christopher Harold Croft - Licensing Assistant 
Email: ccroft@wistar.org 

Melanoma Cell Lines Information 
Technology Transfer

Coriell Staff 

Email: customerservice@coriell.org 
Phone: (800) 752-3805

General Inquiries 

Email: Wistar@coriell.org 
Phone: (856) 966-5056