MOLM-13 Cells

The MOLM-13 cell line is a human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line, originally derived from a patient diagnosed with AML-M5a (acute monocytic leukemia, FAB classification). This line was established at the time of disease relapse, following prior progression from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). MOLM-13 cells harbor the MLL-AF9 gene fusion resulting from an insertion, ins(11;9)(q23;p22p23), and exhibit additional chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy 8, a common feature associated with AML.

In terms of phenotypic characteristics, MOLM-13 cells express myeloid and monocyte-associated markers including CD33, CD13, and CD15. However, they lack expression of CD34, a marker of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, distinguishing them from other leukemia subtypes. MOLM-13 cells also display monoblastoid morphology with fine chromatin and prominent nucleoli. Functionally, they are capable of differentiation into macrophage-like cells upon exposure to specific cytokines such as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which also enhance expression of myelomonocytic markers.

MOLM-13 serves as a critical model for studying leukemogenesis, particularly mechanisms underlying MLL-rearranged leukemias. It is also widely used in preclinical research, including the evaluation of novel therapies such as CD70-specific CAR-T cells, which have demonstrated efficacy against MOLM-13 in vitro and in xenograft models. This makes MOLM-13 an invaluable tool for exploring targeted therapeutic approaches for high-risk AML.