NCI-H2052 Cells

NCI-H2052 is a human mesothelioma cell line derived from a pleural biopsy specimen of an adult patient diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. As part of the NCI-Navy Medical Oncology Branch cell line panel, it has been widely utilized in mesothelioma research due to its reproducible growth characteristics and defined histological origin. The cell line was established under IRB-approved protocols aimed at generating clinically annotated cancer models, making it particularly valuable for translational studies linking in vitro behavior with patient disease characteristics.

Phenotypically, NCI-H2052 displays epithelial morphology, a feature consistent with the epithelioid subtype of mesothelioma. The cells grow as adherent monolayers in vitro and are maintained in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Genomic profiling has identified alterations characteristic of mesothelioma, including dysregulation of pathways involving CDKN2A and NF2, though NCI-H2052 specifically retains wild-type BAP1 and displays relatively low mutation burden compared to other mesothelioma models. These molecular traits position NCI-H2052 as a reference model for studying mesothelioma pathogenesis and therapeutic response, especially in contexts excluding BAP1-driven phenotypes.

This cell line has been incorporated into comprehensive pharmacogenomic and transcriptomic datasets, where it contributes to the comparative analysis of mesothelioma subtypes and therapeutic sensitivities. It has shown moderate responsiveness to agents targeting the PI3K/mTOR axis and has been used in high-throughput screening platforms to identify potential synthetic lethal interactions and novel treatment approaches. Due to its molecular profile and origin, NCI-H2052 remains a cornerstone in mesothelioma drug development and molecular characterization studies.