HIEC-6 is a non-cancerous, finite female intestinal cell line derived from a patient. Its doubling time is 96 h and its morphological and functional characteristics are those of human undifferentiated crypt enterocytes.
IEC6 is a commonly used intestinal cell line in biomedical research, particularly in studies related to gastrointestinal physiology, mucosal barrier function, and intestinal epithelial cell biology.
1. Origin: IEC6 cells were derived from normal rat small intestine crypt cells. They were initially isolated and characterized by Quaroni and Isselbacher in 1985 from neonatal rat intestine.
2. Characteristics: IEC6 cells exhibit several characteristics typical of small intestinal epithelial cells, including columnar morphology, apical microvilli, and the ability to form monolayers in culture. They maintain many features of differentiated small intestinal epithelial cells, making them a valuable model for studying intestinal physiology and pathology.
3. Growth Properties: IEC6 cells have a relatively fast growth rate and can be cultured easily in standard tissue culture conditions. They are adherent cells and typically grow as monolayers in culture dishes or flasks.
4. Differentiation: Under appropriate culture conditions, IEC6 cells can undergo differentiation, resembling the absorptive enterocytes found in the small intestine. This differentiation process can be induced by various factors such as serum starvation, growth factors, or differentiation-promoting agents.
5. Applications: IEC6 cells have been widely used as a model system to investigate various aspects of intestinal biology, including nutrient absorption, epithelial barrier function, ion transport, mucin secretion, immune responses, and host-microbe interactions. They are also used in drug absorption studies and toxicology research.
6. Transfection and Gene Expression: IEC6 cells are amenable to genetic manipulation and can be transfected with exogenous genes or siRNA for functional studies. This allows researchers to investigate the role of specific genes or signaling pathways in intestinal epithelial cell function and regulation.
7. Limitations: While IEC6 cells provide a valuable tool for studying intestinal physiology and pathology, it's essential to recognize their limitations. They are derived from rat intestine, so findings from studies using IEC6 cells need to be interpreted in the context of the species differences between rats and humans. Additionally, like all cell lines, IEC6 cells may exhibit differences compared to primary intestinal epithelial cells in terms of gene expression, morphology, and function.
In summary, IEC6 cells are a widely used model system for studying intestinal epithelial cell biology and function. Their ease of culture, well-characterized properties, and ability to recapitulate key aspects of small intestinal epithelium make them valuable tools for research in gastrointestinal physiology, mucosal immunology, and related fields.
Article In vitro models replicating the human intestinal epithelium ...
Alireza Salehi Thans for your answer. However, I wonder if IEC6 is stem-cell like, for it can continously proliferate. You know, the intestinal differentiated cells are non-proliferative. Only intestinal stem cells have continously proliferative potential.
Li Jessury, IEC6 is not a continuous cell line. It is capable of at least 10 population doublings after thawing of the stock cells. So, it cannot proliferate infinitely in invitro culture.
IEC6 is a widely used intestinal epithelial cell line derived from normal rat small intestine. These cells are commonly employed in research related to intestinal physiology, epithelial cell biology, and drug transport studies. IEC6 cells possess characteristics similar to those of normal intestinal epithelial cells, making them valuable tools for investigating processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and barrier function in the intestinal mucosa. Additionally, they are utilized to study interactions between the intestinal epithelium and various pathogens or drugs.
Sure! IEC6 is a commonly used cell line in biomedical research, particularly in the field of gastrointestinal physiology and pathology. The IEC6 cell line was derived from normal rat small intestine epithelium. It was originally isolated and characterized by Quaroni and Isselbacher in 1982.
IEC6 cells have been extensively studied due to their ability to proliferate rapidly and form monolayers in culture, making them a valuable tool for investigating various aspects of intestinal cell biology, including epithelial barrier function, nutrient absorption, and mucosal immunity.
These cells retain many characteristics of normal intestinal epithelial cells, including the expression of markers such as villin and sucrase-isomaltase, which are indicative of differentiation into absorptive enterocytes. Additionally, IEC6 cells have been shown to express various transporters and receptors involved in nutrient uptake and signaling pathways relevant to intestinal function.
Researchers commonly use IEC6 cells to study intestinal physiology, epithelial barrier integrity, responses to pathogens and toxins, as well as to investigate the effects of dietary compounds and pharmaceutical agents on intestinal health. Furthermore, the ability to culture IEC6 cells in vitro provides a convenient model system for studying molecular mechanisms underlying gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and colorectal cancer, among others.