Table 1.
Summary of properties of the most commonly used colon-derived cell lines
| Cell line | Mutated genes | Citations | Origin | Main characteristics | Main applications | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caco-2 | APC, TP53, SMAD4 | 13592 | Colon adeno-carcinoma | Functional characteristics of small intestine enterocytes; can differentiate into a polarized monolayer | Electrophysiology; absorptive and pathogen-defensive properties of the intestinal barrier; innate immune response; drug resistance | [3, 11, 135] |
| SW480 | APC, TP53, KRAS, PIK3CA | 2333 | Duke’s type B colorectal adenocarcinoma | Do not form polarized monolayer; high proliferation rate; more mesenchymal phenotype | Research on Wnt and other oncogenic signaling pathways; drug resistance; toxicity of nanoparticles | [78, 136–140] |
| T84 | APC, KRAS, PI3KCA | 1395 | Lung metastasis of colon carcinoma | Differentiate into a polarized monolayer; mixed differentiation into both, chloride-secreting enterocytes and mucin-secreting goblet-like cells | Electrophysiology; pathogen-epithelium interactions; barrier function | [141–145] |
| LS174T | CTNNB1, KRAS | 982 | Duke’s type B colorectal adenocarcinoma | Goblet-like cells with secretion of mucins MUC2, MUC5A/C and MUC6; do not form polarized monolayer | Mucin expression studies; cancer research; drug resistance | [146–148] |
| INT-407 | Express E6-, E7 papilloma virus oncogenes; Myc overexpression | 199 | Originally from human embryonic intestinal epithelium; now HeLa cells (cervix adenocarcinoma) | Contaminated and overgrown by HeLa cells indistinguishable from HeLa by STR PCR DNA profiling; residual formation of polarized brush border | Attachment of Campylobacter jejuni and other pathogenic bacteria (also attach to HeLa cells) | [149–153] |
| HT29-MTX | APC, TP53, BRAF | 139 | Selected subclone of adenocarcinoma-derived HT29 cells | Display mucus producing goblet-cell properties; do not form polarized monolayer; HT29-MTX co-cultured with Caco-2 generate a confluent cell layer model covered by a protective mucus layer at the expense of reduced barrier function | Effect of food-borne nanomaterial additives on the epithelium; bioavailability of drugs in the presence of mucus; drug resistance | [154–162] |
| NCM460 | Cytogenetic changes; lack p16INK4a expression | 128 | Immortalized normal colonocytes | Metabolic characteristics of normal mucosa, with low glycolytic rate and pentose phosphate synthesis but high tricarboxylic acid cycle activity | Interaction with microbial pathogens; control cells for studying oncogenic signaling pathways | [163–173] |
Citation numbers were retrieved from the PubMed database in April 2016