RBL (Rat Basophilic Leukemia cells) are cancerous
basophil
Basophils are a type of white blood cell
White blood cells (scientific name leukocytes), also called immune cells or immunocytes, are cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and f ...
cells that are well suited for the study of allergies.
Uses
RBL cells are used in allergy studies due to the strong response of the cells to
IgE
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a type of antibody (or immunoglobulin (Ig) " isoform") that has been found only in mammals. IgE is synthesised by plasma cells. Monomers of IgE consist of two heavy chains (ε chain) and two light chains, with the ε ...
and its
FcεRI
The high-affinity IgE receptor, also known as FcεRI, or Fc epsilon RI, is the high-affinity receptor for the Fc region of immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody isotype involved in allergy disorders and parasite immunity. FcεRI is a tetrameric ...
receptor. They are used in place of mast cells due to a higher stability in tissue culture. RBL cells can also be
humanized
Humanized antibodies are antibodies from non-human species whose protein sequences have been modified to increase their similarity to antibody variants produced naturally in humans. The process of "humanization" is usually applied to monoclonal ant ...
, aiding in the specificity of allergy studies to human patients.
Infections
Mycoplasma
''Mycoplasma'' is a genus of bacteria that, like the other members of the class ''Mollicutes'', lack a cell wall, and its peptidoglycan, around their cell membrane. The absence of peptidoglycan makes them naturally resistant to antibiotics ...
bacterial infections greatly affects the cell mediator release for biological assays, therefore regular Mycoplasma tests need to be performed since the bacteria colonizes the cell surface and cannot be visualized through a light microscope.
References
External links
Cellosaurus entry for RBL
Rodent cell lines
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