Luciferase Reporter Cell Line - DU145

The DU 145 cell line was isolated by K.R. Stone and colleagues in 1978 from a brain metastasis resected from a 69-year-old White male patient with a confirmed diagnosis of prostate carcinoma. The cells grow adherently in monolayer culture and display epithelial morphology. The line is hypotriploid, with modal chromosome numbers of 61 to 62, and is tumorigenic in nude mice, producing adenocarcinomas graded II that are consistent with prostatic primary origin. DU 145 is not detectably hormone-sensitive, expresses only weak acid phosphatase activity, and does not produce prostate-specific antigen. The line carries mutations in PTEN, TP53, and other genes associated with advanced prostate cancer. The Luciferase Reporter Cell Line - DU 145 is derived from the parental line through stable integration of a firefly luciferase expression cassette, allowing for real-time bioluminescence monitoring in cell-based assays and in vivo models with linear correlation to live cell number.

This reporter cell line is broadly applicable in prostate cancer research. It is commonly used in subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft models to non-invasively track tumor growth and metastatic dissemination using bioluminescence imaging. In cell-based studies, it serves as a platform for dual-luciferase reporter assays to investigate androgen receptor signaling, promoter regulation, and microRNA targeting. It is also utilized in high-throughput screening of candidate therapeutics, particularly for advanced or castration-resistant prostate cancer. Because the original DU 145 line was derived from a brain metastasis and lacks detectable hormone sensitivity, the luciferase reporter version offers a relevant model for studying metastatic prostate cancer and testing agents that act independently of androgen receptor signaling.