CTX Cells

CTX (also designated CTX0E03) is a conditionally immortalized human neural stem cell line derived from first-trimester human fetal cortical neuroepithelium. The line was generated by retroviral integration of a c-mycERTAM fusion transgene, which drives cell proliferation only in the presence of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT). In the absence of 4-OHT and in mitogen-free medium, CTX0E03 cells undergo growth arrest and differentiate into neurons and astrocytes, retaining multipotent differentiation capacity. The line is clonal, has a normal human karyotype (46,XY), and was developed under GMP-compatible conditions for potential clinical application.
CTX0E03 has been evaluated in preclinical models of ischemic stroke (MCAo rat model), where implanted cells promoted significant recovery in sensorimotor function. The line has entered clinical trials for stroke therapy. It is also used as an in vitro model for neural stem cell biology, cortical neuron differentiation, Alzheimer’s disease research (Abeta toxicity studies), and neuropharmacological screening. The conditional immortalization system makes CTX0E03 particularly suitable for safety and efficacy studies, as proliferation can be switched off by removal of 4-OHT prior to transplantation.