KYSE-150 Cells

The KYSE-150 cell line is a human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) model derived from a primary tumor resected from an adult patient. This cell line is part of the KYSE series, which was developed to provide a reliable in vitro model for studying the pathobiology of esophageal cancer, particularly in understanding tumorigenesis and therapeutic response. The KYSE-150 cells exhibit a rapid doubling time of 13.7 hours, indicating a high proliferative capacity, which is characteristic of aggressive cancer phenotypes. These cells grow in monolayer culture, adhering to the substrate and forming a uniform sheet, which is typical for epithelial-derived cancer cells.
Genetic analysis of KYSE-150 reveals significant alterations in key tumor suppressor genes, particularly the p16 (INK4a) gene. This cell line shows aberrations in the p16 gene, specifically in the form of CpG island methylation, which silences the gene and contributes to the loss of cell cycle regulation. This epigenetic modification is a common mechanism in many cancers and highlights the relevance of KYSE-150 for studying gene silencing and its role in cancer progression. Furthermore, the cell line retains the wild-type configuration of the p15 gene, suggesting a selective inactivation mechanism for p16 over p15 in this model, which may be of interest in comparative genomic studies.
KYSE-150 is not only valuable for studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of ESCC but also for exploring the effects of genetic and epigenetic alterations in cancer. It provides a robust model for investigating therapeutic interventions that target the specific pathways dysregulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Given its high proliferation rate and specific genetic profile, KYSE-150 is a suitable candidate for in vitro pharmacological testing and other applications related to cancer research, but not for therapeutic or in vivo purposes.