Human colon cancer cell line HT-29 is a cancer cell line derived from a 44 year old white female colon cancer patient, first described by Fogh et al. in 1975. Its cell line has important biological and genetic research value.

1.Source and Basic Information

The oHT-29 cell line is derived from a female colon cancer patient and obtained through anatomical methods. The cells have the characteristic of adherent growth and are in the form of epithelial like cells, usually arranged in a single or multiple layers.

The cell line carries multiple oncogenic gene mutations, such as myc, K-ras, H-ras, N-ras, myc, sis, fos, and p53 gene mutations, and there is a G>A mutation at position 273 of the p53 gene.

The cells express urokinase receptor but do not express plasminogen activator activity, CD4 negative, and surface express galactose ceramide.

2. Biological functions

OHT-29 cells can secrete mucins, express AM-3 epitopes, etc., have tumorigenicity, and can be infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), leading to persistent infection.

Cells are sensitive to various chemotherapy drugs, such as 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin, which can be used to study the chemotherapy mechanism of colon cancer.

In vitro culture, HT-29 cells exhibit good differentiation ability and can form highly differentiated adenocarcinoma (grade I) tissue.

3. Cultivation and preservation

The culture conditions for oHT-29 cells are usually McCoy's 5A medium, supplemented with fetal bovine serum, penicillin, and streptomycin, and cultured in an environment of 37and 5% CO2.

The recommended passaging ratio is 1:3, passaging once every 3-4 days, with a liquid change cycle of twice a week, and a cryoprotectant formula of complete medium 95%+DMSO 5%.

Cells are sensitive to digestion and need to avoid excessive digestion to prevent cell death or floating.

Human colon cancer cell HT-29 is a widely used cell model for studying the biological characteristics of colon cancer and the anti-tumor effects of drugs. According to the search results, HT-29 cells have shown sensitivity to different compounds and drugs in various experiments, revealing their important value in anti-tumor drug screening and mechanism research.

1. Basic characteristics of HT-29 cells

HT-29 cells are derived from human colon adenocarcinoma and have high proliferation ability and invasiveness. Research has shown that HT-29 cells exhibit significant sensitivity to a variety of compounds, including monomeric compounds of Strychnos alkaloids, polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus, and ginsenoside Rh2. These compounds exert their effects through mechanisms such as inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, or blocking the cell cycle [1,2,3].

2. Research on inducing apoptosis

Multiple studies have shown that HT-29 cells can be induced to apoptosis through various pathways. For example:The combined effect of oxalic acid and TRAIL significantly promotes apoptosis in HT-29 cells, while upregulating the expression of Caspase family proteins [4].

Golden Lotus Flower Total Flavonoids: Inducing apoptosis in HT-29 cells through the mitochondrial pathway and downregulating anti apoptotic genes Bcl-2 and Bcl xL [5].

Extract of Hedyotis diffusa: induces apoptosis in HT-29 cells by upregulating Bax expression and downregulating Bcl-2 expression [9,15].

Half branch lotus extract: induces apoptosis through mitochondrial membrane potential loss and Caspase family protein activation [10,17].

3. Inhibit proliferation and invasion ability

The proliferation and invasion ability of HT-29 cells are important indicators for studying anti-tumor drugs. For example:

Ke Liu Wan: significantly inhibits the proliferation and invasion ability of HT-29 cells [11].

Lactic acid bacteria fermented barley extract (LFBE): inhibits HT-29 cell proliferation by inducing changes in cell morphology and apoptosis [6].

Low molecular weight polysaccharides from Agaricus bisporus: reduce the adhesion ability between HT-29 cells and endothelial cells, and decrease tumor cell migration [12].

4. Cycle arrest and gene regulation

Research on HT-29 cell cycle regulation has shown that certain compounds can inhibit its proliferation by blocking the cell cycle progression. For example:

ONGX6 gene: By downregulating the expression of cyclinE and cyclinD1, the proportion of HT-29 cells in the G0/G1 phase is increased [16].

Extract of Hedyotis diffusa: Inhibits HT-29 cell proliferation by blocking the G1/S phase of the cell cycle [8].

5. Autophagy related research

Autophagy is an emerging field in the anti-tumor research of HT-29 cells. For example:

Sodium valproate: induces autophagic cell death in HT-29 cells by blocking the mTOR Akt signaling pathway [13].

6. Research on other mechanisms

Regulation of Ca²+: Berberine inhibits HT-29 cell proliferation by suppressing Ca²+ release.

ORNA interference technique: By targeting the FucT VII gene, the adhesion ability between HT-29 cells and endothelial cells is reduced [14].

HT-29 cells, as a research model for colon cancer, have been widely used in screening anti-tumor drugs and studying their mechanisms. It exhibits sensitivity to various compounds and can exert anti-tumor effects through various mechanisms such as apoptosis, cycle arrest, and autophagy. These studies not only provide theoretical basis for the treatment of colon cancer, but also lay the foundation for further development of new anti-tumor drugs.

 

References

1. Meng Shu, et al. In vitro antitumor activity of monomer alkaloids from Maconopsis chinensis [J]. Journal of Chinese Medicine,2020.

2. Song Xin et al. Study on inhibitory effect of astragalus polysaccharide on the growth of HT-29 cells in colon cancer [J]. Chongqing Medical University,2019.

3. Li Qiuying et al. Effects of ginsenoside Rh2 on the proliferation and cycle of human colon cancer cells [J]. Traditional Chinese medicine,2011.

4. Ye Jilin et al. Triptamine sensitizes TRAIL to induce apoptosis in human colon cancer HT-29 cells [J]. Journal of Pharmacy,2015.

5. Song Jiale et al. Mechanism of flavonoid inducing apoptosis in human HT-29 colon cancer cells [J]. Modern Food Science and Technology,2014.

6. Wu Jing et al. Inhibitory effect of lactic acid bacteria fermented barley extract on human colon cancer HT-29 cells [J]. Journal of Chinese Food Science,2016.

7. Tai Wei et al. Antitumor effect of berberine on HT-29 human colon cancer cell line Ca2+ [J]. World Chinese Journal of Digestion,2003.

8. Peng Jun et al. Hedyotis diffusa inhibits the proliferation of human colon cancer cells by blocking the cell cycle [J]. Fujian Traditional Chinese Medicine,2012.

9. Lin Jiumao et al. Mechanism of apoptosis induced by extract of Hedyotis diffusa in HT-29 cells of colon cancer [J]. Fujian Traditional Chinese Medicine,2010.

10. Peng Jun et al. Mechanism of apoptosis induced by extract of half-branch lotus in HT-29 colon cancer cells [J]. Journal of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2010.

11. Huang Shuran et al. Effects of Keliu Pill on adhesion and invasion ability of colon cancer cells HT-29 [J]. Jiangsu Chinese Medicine,2012.

12. Zhang Chun et al. Effects of low molecular weight trichoderma polysaccharide on migration and adhesion of HT-29 cells and endothelial cells [J]. Journal of Medical Research,2009.

13. Wang Yang et al. Study on autophagy induced by sodium valproate in human colon cancer cells HT-29 and its mechanism [J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Research,2014.

14. Yue Liling et al.RNA interference knockdown of FucT VII expression inhibited the adhesion ability of human colon cancer cells HT-29 and HUVECs [J]. Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of China,2010.

15. Peng Jun et al. Effects of Hedyotis diffusa extract on bcl-2 and bax expression in HT-29 colon cancer cells [J]. Journal of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2010.

16. Wang Xiaoyan et al. The effect of NGX6 gene on the cell cycle of human colon cancer cells HT-29 [J]. Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics,2006.

17. Wang Yulu et al. Effects of extract of Hedyotis diffusa on mRNA expression of HT-29Pim-1 and Pim-2 in human colon cancer cells [J]. Fujian Traditional Chinese Medicine,2010.