Usually HEK-blue hTLR4 cells are used for NF-kB activity. But for cytokine (TNF-a, IL-6) analysis, people used macrophage cells (Raw 264.7 or PMA-differentiated THP-1). IS HEK-blue hTLR4 cells don't have the genes for proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-a or IL-6)?
HEK-blue hTLR4 cells should have all the genes if they are not knockouts.
HEK-Blue™-hTLR4 cells are designed to study the stimulation of human TLR4 (hTLR4) by monitoring the activation of NF-κB. Since they are obtained by co-transfection of the murine TLR4 and SEAP (secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase) reporter genes into HEK293 cells to stably express hTLR4, stimulation of hTLR4 with LPS would undoubtedly activate the NF-KB pathway and express cytokines downstream of NF-KB. So, using this cell to find study TNF-a, IL-6 would not be an analysis of the cytokines but rather study of hTLR4 activation.
Cytokine expression studies thus are mainly conducted using immune cells such as aw 264.7 or PMA-differentiated THP-1 although cytokines can be produced by a broad range of cells, including immune cells like macrophages, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes and mast cells, as well as endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and various stromal cells.
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