Gene expression profile of the SV40-immortalized human corneal epithelial cells

Microarray was used to study global gene expression of a cell culture model based on SV40-immortalized human corneal epithelial (iHCE) cells. The gene expression profile of the cell line was compared to the normal human corneal epithelium. Affymetrix HG-U133A GeneChips were used for microarray experiments and results were validated by performing RT-qPCR for selected genes. iHCE was found to over- and under-express 22 % and 14 % of the annotated genes, respectively. The results of this study suggest that differences between iHCE cells and normal corneal epithelium are substantial and therefore the use of these cells in corneal research should be considered with caution.

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Greco D, Vellonen KS, Turner HC, Häkli M, Tervo T, Auvinen P, Wolosin JM, Urtti A