Cancer cell lines

Cancer cell lines are immortalized populations of cells derived from human or animal tumors that are cultured in vitro for extended periods. They serve as the primary workhorses in oncology research, allowing scientists to study the fundamental biology of cancer, including growth mechanisms, genetic mutations, and response to therapeutic agents (National Cancer Institute, 2023). While they provide a high-throughput and relatively inexpensive platform for drug screening and molecular characterization, they are not pharmacological targets themselves; rather, they are the substrates that contain various molecular targets like receptors and enzymes. Significant limitations include the loss of the original tumor's heterogeneity and the absence of the physiological microenvironment, which can result in poor translation from laboratory results to clinical efficacy (Gillet et al., 2013, Nature Reviews Cancer). Consequently, while essential for early-stage drug discovery, cancer cell lines are considered experimental models rather than specific therapeutic molecules or receptors.

Other names

Tumor cell linesImmortalized cancer cell linesIn vitro cancer modelsMalignant cell lines

Not applicable as cancer cell lines are experimental model systems rather than individual therapeutic targets or molecules.