Chromosomal integration of ~4.5 kb of adenovirus 5 E1A/E1B DNA (plus SV40 large T antigen in HEK 293T)
pioneer
Frank L. Graham in Alex van der Eb's laboratory (University of Leiden, generated 1973, published 1977)
Core Principles & Analysis
Generated in 1973 by Frank Graham in Alex van der Eb's laboratory in Leiden (and named after Graham's 293rd experiment), HEK 293 cells were immortalized by transfecting cultured human embryonic kidney cells with sheared adenovirus 5 DNA.
Because HEK 293 cells grow rapidly, transfect at high efficiency, and have low endogenous ion-channel background, they are the standard host for heterologous patch-clamp recordings (hERG, Nav1.7, TRP channels) and GPCR BRET/FLIPR assays.
The derivative line HEK 293T expresses the SV40 large T antigen to replicate episomal plasmids carrying an SV40 origin and serves as the primary packaging cell line for manufacturing clinical lentiviral and adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapy vectors.