I am planning to HEK293 cells for drug treatment. I would want to know till what passage I could use these cells?
Thank you
Hello Pooja Saklani
If HEK293 has been in culture for more than 20-25 passages, it would be better to thaw a new stock of earlier passage and carry out the drug treatment. If I were you, I would use HEK293 not beyond passage 20 to perform cell-based bioassay. It is important to set the limit as far as passaging is concerned for cell-based assays because most cells do not maintain their characteristics indefinitely in continuous culture, and beyond a validated passage number, their response in an assay may drift outside acceptable limits.
HEK293 cells is known for its high reproducibility of results. However, if they are cultured for an extended period their health starts to deteriorate. This can affect growth rate and thus they tend to become less reliable in terms of experimental results.
Therefore, if you are planning to use HEK293 cells for drug treatment, do not go beyond passage 20.
Best.
HEK293 cells, a commonly used cell line in research, have the ability to undergo multiple passages in cell culture. The specific number of passages that can be achieved depends on various factors, including the initial quality of the cell line, the culture conditions, and the care taken during subculturing.
With proper handling and maintenance, HEK293 cells can typically be passaged between 20 and 50 times before experiencing significant changes in their growth characteristics or genetic stability. However, it's important to note that each passage can introduce genetic alterations or accumulate subclones with different characteristics. Therefore, it is recommended to periodically verify the identity, purity, and characteristics of the cell line using appropriate methods such as STR profiling or testing for specific protein markers.
To maintain the optimal growth and stability of HEK293 cells, it is advisable to follow good cell culture practices, including regular monitoring for contamination, appropriate media formulation, proper subculturing techniques, and avoiding excessive passage numbers to minimize the risk of genetic changes and alterations in cell behavior.
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