I think there is no cell lines with overexpressed nitroreductase, but nitroreductase can be overexpressed in hypoxic tumors, so if you create hypoxia either by physical or chemical methods, and measure the HIF1 as well as nitroreductase u can do your work. Might this can help. Yes, if you get any cell lines please share the name here also. I would love to know. All the very best.
Yes, my idea is to create a state of hypoxia to activate it, but I would like to have as a positive control a line in which in normal state has expressed nitroreductase. If I find an interested line I will not hesitate to share it.
Yes, if there is no positive control cell lines with NTR overexpression, you can create hypoxia in cell line with any standard chemical or media, and consider that as 100% hypoxic cell line and compare that with normaxic cell lines. Further design ur experiment with normaxic as negative control and standards compound induced hypoxic cell line as positive control and ur test cell line whatever u want to induce and compared the NTR. Correct me if I am wrong, but research must go on.