Immortalized Cells

Immortalized Cells are cell lines that have acquired the ability to proliferate indefinitely, overcoming replicative senescence. Immortalization can occur spontaneously (e.g., 3T3), through viral oncogene expression (e.g., SV40 large T antigen, HPV E6/E7), or via telomerase (hTERT) transduction. Specific immortalized cell types include htert immortalized cell lines (telomerase expression alone, which extends lifespan without full transformation), sv40 immortalization (using SV40 large T antigen, which binds and inactivates p53 and Rb), immortalized cell (singular), spontaneously immortalized (e.g., 3T3, which arose from mouse embryo fibroblasts after a crisis period), and oncogene immortalized (e.g., RAS, MYC, which drive proliferation but also cause transformation).

Our portfolio encompasses both human and animal sources, and these cells are essential for reproducible, high-throughput experiments because they do not senesce and can be expanded indefinitely. Immortalized cell lines are available for nearly every cell type: fibroblasts, keratinocytes, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, neuronal cells, and more. Immortalized human cells are crucial for human disease modeling without the ethical concerns of primary human tissues; they are used for drug screening, gene editing, and xenograft studies. Immortalized mouse cells (e.g., NIH/3T3, C2C12, RAW 264.7) are used for transfection, feeder layers, and immune studies. Immortalized rat cells (e.g., PC12 for neurobiology, H9c2 for cardiac studies) are available. Immortalized fibroblast lines like NIH/3T3 (mouse) or immortalized human dermal fibroblasts (e.g., BJ-hTERT) are used for aging, wound healing, and as feeder cells. Immortalized keratinocytes like HaCaT (spontaneously immortalized human keratinocytes) are standard for skin biology, including differentiation, barrier function, and UV damage studies. Immortalized endothelial cells like EA.hy926 (HUVEC-A549 hybrid) or HMEC-1 (human microvascular) enable vascular studies without primary isolation. Immortalized epithelial cells from various organs are available: HK-2 (kidney proximal tubule), H69 (cholangiocyte), Calu-3 (lung airway). Immortalized neuronal cells like SH-SY5Y (neuroblastoma) or differentiated LUHMES (dopaminergic) are used for neurodegeneration screening.

Researchers use immortalized cell lines for reproducible, high-throughput assays such as CRISPR screens, compound libraries, and protein production. SV40 immortalization is a classic method to extend lifespan of primary cells, but it can cause genomic instability and partial transformation. Immortalized human cells like telomerase-immortalized fibroblasts (BJ-hTERT) are used for aging studies because they do not undergo replicative senescence but retain normal karyotypes and contact inhibition. Immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) are standard for skin biology; they differentiate in response to calcium and can form stratified epithelia. Immortalized endothelial cells enable vascular studies without the variability of primary HUVEC; they are used for tube formation, permeability, and leukocyte adhesion assays. Immortalized neuronal cells like SH-SY5Y are used for neurotoxicity screening (e.g., MPTP, rotenone, 6-OHDA). Whether you need immortalized neuronal cells for neurodegeneration screens or immortalized human cells for gene editing, our Immortalized Cells category provides reliable, continuously propagating lines with extensive characterization.