MHCC-97H-Luc Cells

MHCC-97H-Luc is a bioluminescent derivative of the human MHCC-97H hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, engineered to stably express a firefly luciferase reporter gene. The parental MHCC-97H cell line was established from a hepatocellular carcinoma in a 39-year-old Chinese male patient and is characterized by high metastatic potential, as reflected by its designation as the high-metastasis subline of the MHCC97 series. MHCC-97H cells are associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) transformation and exhibit aggressive invasive behavior, making them a clinically relevant model for studying highly metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma and therapeutic strategies targeting invasion and dissemination.

The stable luciferase integration in MHCC-97H-Luc enables sensitive, noninvasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI) of tumor burden in orthotopic liver implantation and subcutaneous xenograft models using immunocompromised hosts. The emitted signal correlates with viable tumor cell number, supporting longitudinal monitoring of tumor engraftment, intrahepatic spread, and distant metastasis. MHCC-97H-Luc is particularly valuable for in vivo evaluation of anti-metastatic agents, kinase inhibitors, and novel targeted therapies against highly invasive hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as for investigating tumor microenvironment interactions and molecular mechanisms underlying HCC metastasis.

MHCC-97H-Luc retains the high metastatic potential and HBV-associated molecular features of the parental MHCC-97H line, providing a relevant and aggressive preclinical platform for hepatocellular carcinoma research. The luciferase reporter enhances experimental sensitivity and enables real-time pharmacodynamic assessment. Researchers should validate luciferase activity, metastatic behavior, and growth kinetics under their specific experimental conditions prior to large-scale in vivo use.