Characterization of a Human Derived Macrophage-Like Cell Line, U-M

Abstract

Macrophage cells are immunologically important, producing various kinds of cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interferon, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), Prostaglandins, and active oxygens, and play a important functions in the cell-mediated immunity and the biodefensive functions such as tumorcidal and microcidal functions. Studies concerning the functions of macrophage cells have been exclusively done using in vivo macrophage cells in mouse and rabbit or established cell lines derived from mice such as J774A.1, RAW264.1 and P388D1 cells. However, no human-derived cell line has been established. Establishment of a human-derived macrophage that can grow in the serum-free medium is useful not only for study on the in vitro functions of human macrophage cells but also for production of such useful substances. In the preceding study, we established a human-drived macrophage-like cell line that proliferates well in serum-free medium, from a human histiocytic lymphoma cell line (U-937) by treatment with 12-o-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA)(1). In this study, we examined some properties of the established macrophage-like cells, compared with those of the original U-937 cells.