Personalised medicine seeks to tailor healthcare strategies to the unique genetic, molecular, and physiological profiles of patients. Instead of one-size-fits-all treatments, precision therapies aim to predict how individuals will respond to drugs, reduce adverse effects, and improve clinical outcomes. Achieving this vision requires robust models that replicate aspects of human biology under controlled conditions.
Immortalised cell lines, though not perfect replicas of human tissues, play a pivotal role in this space. They allow researchers to investigate how genetic mutations, receptor variations, or metabolic profiles influence drug responses. These cell systems have been instrumental in developing targeted therapies, identifying biomarkers, and optimising drug combinations for specific patient groups.
The following sections explore ten important cell lines and their role in shaping personalised medicine.
HeLa Cells and Individual Variability in Cancer
As the first immortalised line, HeLa cells have contributed significantly to the concept of tumour heterogeneity in personalised oncology. Derived from cervical carcinoma, HeLa cells exhibit unique genetic alterations that highlight how individual tumours vary in their mutations, pathways, and drug sensitivities.
In the context of personalised medicine, HeLa cells have been used to:
- Investigate cancer genomics, identifying specific mutations that drive tumour growth.
- Screen anticancer compounds, revealing how drug sensitivity varies with genetic background.
- Understand tumour heterogeneity, highlighting why different patients respond differently to the same therapy.
Although HeLa represents just one individual’s tumour, their use underscores the need for patient-specific models in cancer treatment planning. They also demonstrate how immortalised lines can reveal molecular signatures that inform tailored interventions.
HEK293 and Genetic Engineering for Precision Therapies
The versatility of HEK293 cells makes them invaluable for developing precision medicines based on gene therapies. Their high transfection efficiency allows them to act as hosts for engineered genes, receptors, and viral vectors.
Applications relevant to personalised medicine include:
- Gene therapy vectors, where HEK293 cells are used to produce patient-specific adenoviral or lentiviral vectors.
- Genetic editing tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9, which can be optimised in HEK293 systems before being applied clinically.
- Testing rare genetic variants, enabling researchers to introduce patient-specific mutations and observe their functional consequences.
By supporting the design of customised genetic interventions, HEK293 lines act as a bridge between laboratory development and personalised clinical application.
CHO Cells and Biopharmaceutical Customisation
CHO cells, though derived from rodent tissue, are indispensable for producing personalised biopharmaceuticals. Their ability to generate human-like post-translational modifications means they can be tailored to produce biologics optimised for individual patient groups.
In precision medicine, CHO systems are crucial for:
- Monoclonal antibodies, designed to target specific tumour antigens unique to patients.
- Biologic dose adjustment, producing variations of therapeutic proteins with altered half-lives or activity.
- Customised hormone analogues, ensuring treatment options align with patient physiology.
By providing flexible platforms for manufacturing targeted therapies, CHO cells support the industrial backbone of personalised treatment strategies.
SH-SY5Y and Precision Neurology
Personalised approaches to neurological disorders require cellular systems that replicate neuronal variability. SH-SY5Y cells, capable of differentiation into neuron-like cells, offer a reproducible model for studying patient-specific drug responses in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.
They contribute to precision therapies through:
- Modelling Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, enabling testing of compounds that target disease-specific neuronal pathways.
- Neurotoxicology screening, predicting individual risk of drug-induced neuronal side effects.
- Studying neurotransmitter metabolism, which varies among patients and influences treatment outcomes.
By simulating neuronal physiology, SH-SY5Y cells provide a scalable model for understanding inter-individual variability in neurological treatment responses.
MCF7 and Hormone-Dependent Cancer Therapies
The MCF7 breast cancer line exemplifies how cell lines advance precision oncology. Because MCF7 cells retain oestrogen receptor activity, they are used to predict how patients with hormone-responsive tumours may respond to endocrine therapies.
Applications include:
- Evaluating hormone therapies, such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, in oestrogen receptor-positive contexts.
- Exploring resistance mechanisms, identifying biomarkers that predict treatment failure.
- Testing patient-specific drug combinations, aimed at overcoming acquired resistance.
MCF7-based research illustrates the core principle of personalised oncology: that therapies must be matched to the biological drivers of each patient’s tumour.
THP1 and Immune Modulation Therapies
THP1 cells, derived from monocytic leukaemia, provide an adaptable model for investigating how immune responses vary among individuals. In personalised immunology, THP1 systems are invaluable for studying how drugs, biologics, or nanoparticles affect immune activation and regulation.
They play a role in:
- Cytokine release prediction, helping to anticipate patient-specific risks of immune overstimulation.
- Testing immunomodulators, which may require different dosing strategies depending on patient immune profiles.
- Understanding host–pathogen variability, clarifying why immune responses differ across populations.
By modelling innate immune function, THP1 supports precision immunology, where therapies must account for variations in immune sensitivity and reactivity.
A2780 and Drug Resistance Profiling
Personalised cancer treatment must confront drug resistance, and A2780 ovarian carcinoma cells provide a model for this challenge. They are particularly relevant for platinum-based chemotherapy resistance, a major obstacle in treating ovarian cancer.
Research using A2780 cells has:
- Identified resistance pathways, such as enhanced DNA repair and drug efflux pumps.
- Revealed predictive biomarkers, enabling clinicians to anticipate which patients may develop resistance.
- Supported combination therapy testing, guiding personalised regimens to overcome resistance.
By modelling the evolution of chemoresistance, A2780 cells inform strategies that adapt to patient-specific tumour dynamics.
HL-60 and Precision Haematology
The promyelocytic HL-60 line offers insight into personalised approaches for blood cancers. Their ability to differentiate into granulocytes or monocytes makes them useful for exploring how individual haematopoietic pathways influence therapy response.
HL-60 cells contribute to:
- Differentiation therapy research, predicting patient-specific responses to agents like retinoic acid.
- Evaluating haematotoxicity, clarifying inter-individual variability in chemotherapy-induced blood toxicity.
- Testing targeted therapies, especially those designed for acute myeloid leukaemia.
By capturing aspects of haematopoietic diversity, HL-60 models align with precision haematology, where treatment depends on the genetic and cellular features of each patient’s disease.
Caco-2 and Nutrient–Drug Interactions
Personalised nutrition and pharmacology often intersect at the intestinal barrier, where nutrient absorption and drug uptake occur. Caco-2 cells, derived from colon carcinoma, replicate enterocyte functions, offering a platform for studying these interactions.
They are used to:
- Predict oral drug absorption, accounting for variability in gut permeability.
- Study nutrient–drug competition, where certain diets influence drug efficacy.
- Investigate microbiota–host interactions, which differ among individuals and affect gut metabolism.
By clarifying how drugs and nutrients cross the gut barrier, Caco-2 research supports precision approaches that integrate diet, metabolism, and pharmacology.
HepG2 and Liver-Centred Precision Medicine
As the liver is the primary site of drug metabolism, HepG2 cells are central to precision medicine research. Derived from hepatocellular carcinoma, HepG2 retains many hepatic functions, enabling studies of how inter-individual variability affects liver processing of drugs and nutrients.
They are pivotal in:
- Pharmacogenomics, linking genetic variations in enzymes to drug metabolism differences.
- Hepatotoxicity prediction, identifying patients at higher risk for liver injury.
- Metabolic disease modelling, exploring lipid and glucose metabolism pathways relevant to diabetes and fatty liver disease.
By reflecting liver-specific variability, HepG2 cells support personalised strategies that minimise toxicity and optimise drug dosing.
Conclusion
Personalised medicine and precision therapies demand tools that can capture the variability among patients in how they process drugs, respond to hormones, or develop resistance to treatments. Immortalised cell lines offer reproducible systems to investigate these differences, guiding the development of tailored strategies.
HeLa illustrates tumour heterogeneity, HEK293 advances gene therapy vectors, and CHO produces customised biologics. SH-SY5Y clarifies neuronal drug responses, MCF7 guides endocrine cancer therapy, and THP1 models immune variability. A2780 contributes to resistance profiling, HL-60 informs precision haematology, Caco-2 simulates gut nutrient–drug interactions, and HepG2 supports pharmacogenomics.
Together, these lines form a toolkit that underpins the shift from generalised treatment protocols to personalised care. While not perfect replicas of patient physiology, they are critical stepping stones in building therapies tailored to the unique biology of each individual.
