Jurkat T-cell leukemia cell line (Jurkat) (Jurkat)

Jurkat cells are an immortalized line of human T lymphocyte cells derived from the peripheral blood of a 14-year-old male patient with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) [Schneider et al., 1977]. They are widely utilized in biomedical research as a robust model system to study T-cell signaling, molecular immunology, and the mechanisms of various diseases, including HIV entry and replication [Abraham and Weiss, 2004]. The cell line is particularly noted for its ability to produce large amounts of interleukin-2 (IL-2) upon stimulation and its susceptibility to various apoptotic stimuli, making it a standard tool for screening anti-cancer and immunosuppressive drugs [Gioia et al., 2018]. However, it is important to note that Jurkat cells represent a complex cellular model rather than a specific molecular target like a receptor or enzyme. They possess significant genetic alterations, such as the loss of PTEN and SHIP phosphatases, which result in constitutive activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway and may influence their pharmacological response compared to primary T-cells [Shan et al., 2000].

Other names

Jurkat cellsJMClone E6-1Human T-cell leukemia cell line

As a cellular model rather than a single molecule, drugs interact with Jurkat cells by inducing apoptosis through intrinsic or extrinsic pathways, inhibiting the T-cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 signaling complex, or modulating the constitutively active PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway [Shan et al., 2000].