CT26-Luc Cells

CT26-Luc is a bioluminescent derivative of the murine CT26 colon adenocarcinoma cell line, engineered to stably express a firefly luciferase reporter gene. The parental CT26 cell line was established from an N-nitroso-N-methylurethane-induced undifferentiated colon carcinoma in a BALB/c mouse and is one of the most widely used syngeneic tumor models for preclinical immuno-oncology research. CT26 cells exhibit aggressive growth characteristics, including rapid proliferation and high tumorigenic potential in immunocompetent BALB/c hosts, closely mimicking aspects of human colorectal cancer biology.

The stable integration of a luciferase reporter in CT26-Luc enables sensitive, quantitative bioluminescent imaging (BLI) of tumor burden in living animals. Following administration of the luciferin substrate, the emitted light signal correlates with metabolically active tumor cell number, facilitating noninvasive longitudinal monitoring of tumor growth, metastatic dissemination, and treatment responses. This makes CT26-Luc especially valuable for preclinical studies evaluating checkpoint inhibitors, therapeutic antibodies, oncolytic viruses, and combination treatment strategies in an immune-competent setting.

CT26-Luc retains the key biological features of the parental CT26 line, including its sensitivity to immune-mediated killing and its established use in studies of tumor immunology, adoptive cell therapy, and cancer vaccine development. The addition of the luciferase reporter substantially increases experimental throughput and sensitivity, enabling real-time assessment of therapeutic efficacy and tumor kinetics over the course of treatment without sacrificing animals at individual time points.