HCE-T Cells

HCE-T is an SV40-transformed human corneal epithelial cell line derived from primary human corneal epithelium. The line was established by infection with a recombinant SV40–adenovirus hybrid vector (Ad–SV40), enabling stable expression of SV40 large T antigen and continuous proliferation. The original characterization specifically aimed to generate a continuously growing corneal epithelial cell line without shedding free viral particles.

In culture, HCE-T cells show typical epithelial “cobblestone” morphology and grow as adherent monolayers. Ultrastructural epithelial features such as desmosomes and apical microvilli have been reported, and the cells have been described as producing a cornea-associated 64 kD keratin. Under suitable differentiation conditions (e.g., air–liquid interface culture on collagen), HCE-T cells can form multilayered, stratified structures and develop measurable barrier properties, supporting their use in ocular surface research.

HCE-T cells are widely used to study corneal epithelial barrier function, permeability and formulation effects, migration/repair-related processes, and cellular responses to inflammatory or irritant stimuli. However, transporter expression patterns and differentiation-marker profiles can differ from native human cornea and from primary limbal/corneal epithelial systems. Therefore, HCE-T is best suited for mechanistic and comparative in vitro studies, while direct quantitative extrapolation to in vivo human corneal absorption or corneal differentiation biology should be performed with caution.