We report on the establishment and characterization of a scirrhous gastric cancer cell line, designated OCUM-2M, derived from a 49-year-old Japanese female. OCUM-2M was derived from a primary tumor of stomach taken by total gastrectomy. The cell line grew singly or in clusters in the cultured medium. The cell line continued to multiply for more than one year. Doubling time was 37.3 hours, chromosomal mode was 70. The DNA ploidy pattern was aneuploid and DNA index was 1.59. It produced several tumor-associated antigens such as CEA, CA19-9, SLX and SPan-1. The cell line was transplantable in athymic BALB/c nude mice, and histological findings of the xenografted tumor showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The growth of OCUM-2M was stimulated following the addition of EGF, b-FGF and KGF, and decreased following the addition of TGF-beta 1. This cell line is useful in vitro and in vivo systems for studies of the biology of scirrhous gastric carcinoma.