P388 murine leukemia cell line (P388) (P388)

P388 is a murine lymphocytic leukemia cell line originally derived from a DBA/2 mouse following exposure to 3-methylcholanthrene (NCI, 2024). It has been a cornerstone of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) drug screening program for decades, serving as a primary model for evaluating the efficacy of potential chemotherapeutic agents (PubMed, PMID: 3882000). The cell line is characterized by its rapid proliferation and its ability to grow as an ascites tumor in mice, providing a robust system for testing drug-induced survival extension (NIH, 2023). A significant variant, P388/ADR, is widely used to investigate multidrug resistance (MDR) mechanisms, particularly the overexpression of P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) which facilitates drug efflux (PubChem, 2024). While P388 is instrumental in identifying cytotoxic compounds, it is a biological model system rather than a specific molecular target such as a receptor or enzyme. Researchers utilize P388 to screen for antineoplastic activity across various chemical libraries, often as a precursor to more complex human xenograft models. Its historical data provides a vast benchmark for comparing the potency of novel compounds against established drugs like doxorubicin and vincristine.

Other names

P388 lymphocytic leukemiaP388 leukemiaP388/ADR

Not applicable; P388 is a murine cell line used as a screening model for antineoplastic activity rather than a specific molecular target.