HuH7 Cells

HuH-7 cells are a type of epithelial-like, tumorigenic cell line initially taken from a liver tumor in a 57-year-old Japanese male in 1982. The human hepatoma-derived HuH-7 cell line and its derivatives have been widely used in research as a convenient experimental substitute for primary hepatocytes. In particular, they have been instrumental in hepatitis C research and used as host cells for propagating the virus in vitro. HuH-7 cells have played a crucial role in hepatitis C research, especially when it comes to drug development. Prior to 2005, researchers were unable to cultivate the hepatitis C virus in the laboratory, making it difficult to test potential drug candidates against it.
The introduction of the HuH-7 cell line changed that. These cells are highly permissive to the replication of the hepatitis C virus, making them ideal for in vitro testing. By using the HuH-7 cells, researchers were able to screen drug candidates against laboratory-grown hepatitis C, which paved the way for the development of new drugs to fight the virus. Unlike other established human hepatoma cell lines, HuH-7 cells can be propagated in a chemically defined medium containing trace amounts of selenium in place of serum. This allows for systematic studies of the in vitro effects of various compounds on their growth and metabolism.