Hep G2

{{Short description|Human liver cancer cell line}}

Image:HepG2.jpg

Hep G2 (or HepG2) is a human liver cancer cell line.

Hep G2 is an immortal cell line which was derived in 1975 from the liver tissue of a 15-year-old Caucasian male from Argentina with a well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma.{{cite journal | vauthors = Aden DP, Fogel A, Plotkin S, Damjanov I, Knowles BB | title = Controlled synthesis of HBsAg in a differentiated human liver carcinoma-derived cell line | journal = Nature | volume = 282 | issue = 5739 | pages = 615–616 | date = December 1979 | pmid = 233137 | doi = 10.1038/282615a0 | s2cid = 4359386 | bibcode = 1979Natur.282..615A }} These cells are epithelial in morphology, have a modal chromosome number of 55, and are not tumorigenic in nude mice.[http://www.atcc.org/products/all/HB-8065.aspx Hep G2], American Type Culture Collection The cells secrete a variety of major plasma proteins, e.g., albumin, and the acute-phase proteins fibrinogen, alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, transferrin and plasminogen.{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}} They have been grown successfully in large-scale cultivation systems. Hepatitis B virus surface antigens have not been detected. Hep G2 will respond to stimulation with human growth hormone.{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}}

Hep G2 cells are a suitable in vitro model system for the study of polarized human hepatocytes. Another well-characterized polarized hepatocyte cell line is the rat hepatoma-derived hybrid cell line WIF-B.{{cite journal | vauthors = Ihrke G, Neufeld EB, Meads T, Shanks MR, Cassio D, Laurent M, Schroer TA, Pagano RE, Hubbard AL | display-authors = 6 | title = WIF-B cells: an in vitro model for studies of hepatocyte polarity | journal = The Journal of Cell Biology | volume = 123 | issue = 6 Pt 2 | pages = 1761–1775 | date = December 1993 | pmid = 7506266 | pmc = 2290861 | doi = 10.1083/jcb.123.6.1761 }} With the proper culture conditions, Hep G2 cells display robust morphological and functional differentiation with a controllable formation of apical and basolateral cell surface domains (van IJzendoorn et al., 1997; 2000, etc.) that resemble the bile canalicular (BC) and sinusoidal domains, respectively, in vivo.

Because of their high degree of morphological and functional differentiation in vitro, Hep G2 cells are a suitable model to study the intracellular trafficking and dynamics of bile canalicular, sinusoidal membrane proteins, and lipids in human hepatocytes in vitro.{{cite journal | vauthors = Moscato S, Ronca F, Campani D, Danti S | title = Poly(vinyl alcohol)/gelatin Hydrogels Cultured with HepG2 Cells as a 3D Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Morphological Study | journal = Journal of Functional Biomaterials | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 16–32 | date = January 2015 | pmid = 25590431 | pmc = 4384098 | doi = 10.3390/jfb6010016 | doi-access = free }} This can be important for the study of human liver diseases that are caused by an incorrect subcellular distribution of cell surface proteins, e.g., hepatocanalicular transport defects such as Dubin-Johnson Syndrome and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC), and familial hypercholesterolemia.{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}} Hep G2 cells and their derivatives are also used as a model system for studies of liver metabolism and toxicity of xenobiotics,{{cite web| vauthors = Fanelli A |title=HepG2 (liver hepatocellular carcinoma): cell culture|date=2016|access-date=3 December 2017|url=http://www.hepg2.com/| work = HepG2 }} the detection of environmental and dietary cytotoxic and genotoxic (and thus cytoprotective, anti-genotoxic, and cogenotoxic) agents,{{cite journal | vauthors = Mersch-Sundermann V, Knasmüller S, Wu XJ, Darroudi F, Kassie F | title = Use of a human-derived liver cell line for the detection of cytoprotective, antigenotoxic and cogenotoxic agents | journal = Toxicology | volume = 198 | issue = 1–3 | pages = 329–340 | date = May 2004 | pmid = 15138059 | pmc = | doi = 10.1016/j.tox.2004.02.009 }} understanding hepatocarcinogenesis {{Citation needed|date=February 2013}}, and for drug targeting studies {{Citation needed|date=February 2013}}. Hep G2 cells are also employed in trials with bio-artificial liver devices {{Citation needed|date=February 2013}}.