Upgrading of the murine cell line Ba/F3

Ba/F3 is an IL-3-dependent Pro-B cell line from the mouse, which is a frequently used system in oncology research. Ba/F3 cells are used, among other things, to characterize cellular kinases and their kinase inhibitors.

The origin of the Ba/F3 cell line was initially unclear, as they were originally described as IL-3-dependent pro-B cells derived from the bone marrow of Balb/c mice. However, subsequent genotyping of the Ba/F3 cells revealed that they were actually isolated from a C3H mouse.

In recent analyses (PCR and ELISA tests) in the laboratories of the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ), the activity of a reverse transcriptase in Ba/F3 cell lysates. This result indicates the presence of a previously unidentified endogenous Retrovirus in the cells. As a consequence, the ZKBS has transferred the cell line to the Risk group 2 upgraded. For re-evaluation, the ZKBS may receive its own data on the characterization of the endogenous retrovirus from Ba/F3 cells in the future.

The information on Upgrade of the Ba/F3 cell line can be found on the ZKBS website or in the corresponding Cell line database entry can be retrieved.