
K562 cells are human erythroleukemic cells derived from a 53-year-old female chronic myelogenous leukemia patient. They are part of the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel used by the National Cancer Institute. K562 cells are known to express cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19, as well as an epithelial membrane antigen, all of which disappear after induced differentiation. In this context, it is essential to understand whether K562 cells express pan cytokeratin and the implications this expression may have on cancer research and treatment.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cell type | K562 cells are human erythroleukemic cells, the first immortalised myelogenous leukemia cell line to be established. |
| Origin | Derived from a 53-year-old female chronic myelogenous leukemia patient in blast crisis. |
| Morphology | Non-adherent, rounded, and exhibit less clumping in culture compared to other suspension lines. |
| Genetic markers | Positive for the bcr:abl fusion gene, Philadelphia chromosome, and transferrin receptors (TfR). |
| Drug response | Sensitive to Imatinib, a cancer drug that inhibits BCR/ABL, causing growth arrest and apoptosis. |
| Expression | Express cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19, and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), which disappear after induced differentiation. |
| Function | Used as a model for investigating cancer therapeutics, particularly for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). |
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What You'll Learn

K562 cells express cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19
K562 cells are human immortalised myelogenous leukemia cells. They are of the erythroleukemia type and are derived from a 53-year-old female chronic myelogenous leukemia patient in blast crisis. The cells are non-adherent and rounded and are positive for the bcr:abl fusion gene. They bear some proteomic resemblance to both undifferentiated granulocytes and erythrocytes.
K562 cells are part of the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel used by the National Cancer Institute. Many factors and components play a role in the cell cycle of K562 cells in terms of growth, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. The growth of these leukemic cells is controlled by either initiating cell differentiation or apoptosis to occur.
The presence of cytokeratin filaments in K562 cells was demonstrated through electron microscopy. The ability to induce changes in the K562 cell cycle and cell cycle regulation provides targets for cancer drugs.
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They are human erythroleukemic cells
K562 cells are human erythroleukemic cells, derived from a chronic myelogenous leukemia patient. This cell line is unique in that it can differentiate into either erythroid or granulocytic cells, depending on the specific culture conditions provided. This ability to differentiate makes K562 cells a valuable tool in studying the mechanisms of cellular differentiation and the development of new therapeutics for leukemia.
K562 cells have been widely used in biomedical research since their establishment in 1975. They are readily available from cell repositories and exhibit consistent growth and differentiation characteristics, making them a reliable model for laboratory studies. One of the key advantages of using K562 cells is their ability to undergo erythroid differentiation in response to specific inducing agents, such as hemin or sodium butyrate. This process involves the expression of erythroid-specific genes and the production of hemoglobin, mimicking the maturation of red blood cells.
The study of K562 cells has provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying erythroid differentiation. Researchers have identified key transcription factors and signaling pathways involved in this process, such as GATA-1 and the MAPK pathway. By understanding the regulatory networks that control K562 cell differentiation, scientists can develop new strategies for treating blood disorders and improving erythropoiesis, the process of red blood cell production.
Additionally, K562 cells have been extensively used in cancer research, particularly in studying the mechanisms of leukemia development and testing potential anti-leukemia drugs. As these cells exhibit characteristics of chronic myelogenous leukemia, they serve as a model for understanding the biology of this disease. Researchers can investigate the molecular changes that occur during leukemia progression and screen for compounds that selectively target leukemic cells while sparing healthy ones.
In conclusion, K562 cells, as human erythroleukemic cells, offer a versatile and well-characterized model system for a range of biomedical research applications. Their ability to differentiate into erythroid or granulocytic lineages, coupled with their extensive use in cancer research, makes them a valuable tool for advancing our understanding of cellular differentiation, blood disorders, and leukemia. Further studies utilizing K562 cells will continue to provide insights into the complex mechanisms underlying these processes and contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
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K562 cells are immortalised myelogenous leukemia cells
K562 cells are the first immortalised myelogenous leukemia cell line to be established. They are derived from a 53-year-old female chronic myelogenous leukemia patient in blast crisis. The cells are non-adherent and rounded and exhibit much less clumping than many other suspension lines. They are also easily killed by natural killer cells as they lack the MHC complex required to inhibit NK activity.
K562 cells are part of the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel used by the National Cancer Institute. They are pseudo-triploid and positive for the Philadelphia chromosome. They have been widely used for investigating the BCR/ABL1 oncogene and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib-mesylate. They are also used as a model for targeting cytotoxic therapies via receptor-mediated endocytosis.
The growth of these leukemic cells is controlled by either initiating cell differentiation or apoptosis. Cell differentiation is induced by the deacetylase activity in these "undherentiated progenitor cells", which alters the phenotype and morphology of the K562 cells. The change in phenotype induces a decrease in the growth rate and leads the K562 cells to the terminal path of becoming mature erythroids, monocytes, and mature macrophages.
Apoptosis is an important mechanism in regulating K562 cells and can be induced by changes in the metabolic state of the cells. The problem with K562 cells, and many other cancer cell types, is an overabundance of Aurora kinases, which play a role in the formation of spindles, separation of chromosomes, and cytokinesis. This allows for uncontrolled cellular division, resulting in cancer. Inhibiting these kinases is an important regulation mechanism for cancer, as it prevents cells from progressing into mitosis.
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They are part of the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel
K562 cells are part of the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel, a group of 60 human cancer cell lines used by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the screening of compounds to detect potential anticancer activity. The screening procedure is called the NCI-60 Human Tumor Cell Lines Screen and it is one of the Discovery & Development Services of NCI's Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP). The screening service is offered at no cost to submitters, other than shipping costs, and it is used to study the cytostatic and cytotoxic impact of tested substances on the cell lines.
The NCI-60 panel includes a diverse range of cell lines, allowing for the comparison of tested compounds by their effect patterns. This comparison can be done using the COMPARE tool, which ranks substances by their Pearson correlation coefficients for a given test substance. The COMPARE tool has access to a database of more than 88,000 pure compounds and over 34,000 crude extracts (as of 6 January 2017).
K562 cells, specifically, are of the erythroleukemia type and were derived from a 53-year-old female chronic myelogenous leukemia patient in blast crisis. They are non-adherent and rounded and exhibit less clumping in culture compared to other suspension lines. They can also spontaneously develop characteristics similar to early-stage erythrocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes.
The growth of K562 cells can be controlled by either initiating cell differentiation or apoptosis. Cell differentiation is induced by the deacetylase activity in these "undifferentiated progenitor cells," which alters the phenotype and morphology of the K562 cells. This change in phenotype leads to a decrease in the growth rate and drives the cells towards becoming mature erythroids, monocytes, and mature macrophages. Additionally, K562 cells have an overabundance of Aurora kinases, which play a role in uncontrolled cellular division, resulting in cancer. Inhibiting these kinases is an important mechanism for regulating cancer growth.
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K562 cells are used to investigate therapeutics for CML
K562 cells are human immortalised myelogenous leukemia cells that are widely used in cancer research. They are of the erythroleukemia type, derived from a 53-year-old female chronic myelogenous leukemia patient in blast crisis. These cells are non-adherent and rounded, positive for the bcr:abl fusion gene, and bear proteomic similarities to both undifferentiated granulocytes and erythrocytes.
K562 cells are an important tool for investigating novel therapeutics for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). They are part of the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel used by the National Cancer Institute, aiding in the understanding of various factors influencing the cell cycle, such as growth, cell differentiation, and apoptosis.
The ability to induce changes in the K562 cell cycle provides targets for cancer drugs. For example, Imatinib inhibits BCR/ABL, causing cell growth to cease and initiating apoptosis. Another group of regulators of the K562 line are Sirtuins (SIRTS), which play a role in cellular stress, metabolism, and autophagy by interacting with deacetylase activity.
In addition, K562 cells have been used to study the effects of differentiation-modulating drugs on the expression of intermediate filaments. Untreated K562 cells express cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19, as well as epithelial membrane antigen. However, when exposed to differentiation-inducing agents like hemin or sodium butyrate, these cells lose cytokeratin expression.
Furthermore, the role of cancer-initiating stem cells in driving cancer progression is an active area of investigation, and K562 cells are used to explore the biological and molecular properties of CD34 + CML-initiating cells and their response to conventional and experimental therapeutics. The genetic differences between patient-derived CD34 + CML cells and K562 cells are also being studied to improve our understanding of CML and develop more effective treatments.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, K562 erythroleukemia cells express cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19 and epithelial membrane antigen.
K562 cells are a human immortalised myelogenous leukemia cell line derived from a 53-year-old female chronic myelogenous leukemia patient in blast crisis.
K562 cells are used to investigate the mechanisms of action of clinical and experimental therapeutics, particularly for investigating novel therapeutics for CML.


























