The lack of stable and sensitive advanced immunology cell-based models to evaluate immune activation has hindered immuno-oncology research and development for decades. To address this need, ATCC introduced luciferase reporters containing the response element of immunologically important transcription factors into the THP-1 cell line.
The THP-1 LUC2 cell lines provide a means to confidently measure immune modulation for all your drug discovery and development efforts. Originating from a spontaneously immortalized human monocyte-like cell line that naturally expresses many pattern-recognition and cytokine receptors, ATCC THP-1 LUC2 cells represent the most physiologically relevant model to aid advancements in immuno-oncology and immune disorders.
Features and Benefits of THP-1 Reporter Cells
| Key features | Key benefits |
| Fully authenticated parental THP-1 cell line | No concerns about cross-contamination and misidentification, saves time and money |
| High signal-to-noise ratio | Clear and more intense results, straightforward data analysis |
| Verified, characterized stable expression | Reduced variability, reproducible results |
| Easy to culture, robust, and highly sensitive | Ease of use, customer convenience |
| Amenable to complex experimentation (combinatorial stimulation, co-culture) | Versatile and compatible with multiple platforms |
| High density cryopreservation | More viable cells post-thaw |
Quantitation of immunomodulation made easy. To use THP-1 LUC2 cells, simply seed in a 96-well plate. Stimulate the cells overnight with your compound of interest, then incubate the cells using a luciferase assay system and read the bioluminescence signals using a luminometer. Your immunomodulation data will be bigger, brighter, better.
Available THP-1 LUC2 reporter cell lines
| Response element | ATCC No. | Signaling Pathway | Function |
| NFκB | TIB-202-NFκB-LUC2 | NFκB | Pivotal mediator of inflammatory response |
| GAS | TIB-202-GAS-LUC2 | JAK-STAT (Type II) | Initiates immune cell activation and recruitment |
| CRE | TIB-202-CRE-LUC2 | cAMP/PKA | Inflammatory mediator and phagocytosis modulator |
| ISRE | TIB-202-ISRE-LUC2 | JAK-STAT (Type I) | Initiates immune cell activation and recruitment |
| AP1 | TIB-202-AP1-LUC2 | MAPK/ERK | Regulates innate and adaptive immune response |
| NFAT | TIB-202-NFAT-LUC2 | Calcineurin-NFAT | Mediates adaptive T and B cell activation |
These high-quality cell lines are well suited to study the role of proteins involved in signaling cascades activated by immunomodulators, to optimize the MoA, pharmaceutical potency, and/or toxicological profile of leading drug candidates, and to evaluate the efficacy or toxicity of promising drug compounds in vitro assays.
Comparison of luminescence and in vitro quantification of luciferase activity of THP-1 LUC2 and competitor reporter cell lines. Cells were seeded in a 96-well plate. After overnight stimulation with the appropriate interferons, bioluminescence signals were detected using a commercially available luciferase assay kit and a luminometer. Error bars show standard deviation (n=3). (A) ATCC THP-1 GAS-Luc2 (orange bar), THP-1 ISRE-Luc2 (yellow bar), or competitor immune regulator expression cells (green bar) stimulated with the indicated interferons and assessed for bioluminescence. (B) ATCC THP-1 NFkB-Luc2 (orange bar) or competitor immune regulator expression cells (green bar) treated with the indicated toll-like receptor agonists and assessed for bioluminescence intensity. In both studies, THP-1 luciferase-expressing cells exhibited enhanced bioluminescence signal compared to the competitor cells.
