The B2M Knockout PaTu 8988t Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population targeting the B2M gene. This model offers a heterogeneous pool of disrupted cells, facilitating loss-of-function analysis of beta-2 microglobulin. The polyclonal format recapitulates tumor diversity, making it suitable for immune evasion studies in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
The parental PaTu 8988t cell line originates from a liver metastasis of a pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and retains epithelial characteristics of PDAC. Widely used in pancreatic cancer research, it serves as a clinically relevant model for studying tumor biology, invasiveness, and immune interactions. These cells enable investigation of B2M??s role in a tumor cell context derived from advanced metastatic disease.
B2M encodes the light chain of MHC class I molecules, essential for antigen presentation to CD8+ T cells. It forms complexes with HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-C heavy chains through chaperones including calreticulin, tapasin, ERp57, and the TAP1/TAP2 transporter. Transcription of B2M is activated by interferon gamma (IFNG) via STAT1 and IRF1, and is also influenced by TNF and NF-??B signaling. Loss of B2M prevents MHC class I surface expression, abrogating CD8+ T cell recognition and promoting immune escape.
In PaTu 8988t cells, B2M knockout eliminates MHC class I surface display, mirroring immune evasion mechanisms found in pancreatic tumors. This model enables investigation of antigen presentation defects and their impact on CD8+ T cell-mediated tumor clearance. The polyclonal nature supports studies of clonal immune escape heterogeneity. Researchers can assess interventions to restore MHC class I machinery, such as IFNG stimulation, and evaluate subsequent T cell-mediated cytotoxicity, providing insights into therapeutic strategies for overcoming immune evasion.
This knockout cell population is a versatile tool for cancer immunology, including flow cytometry-based MHC class I profiling, co-culture cytotoxicity assays, and signaling studies. It facilitates evaluation of immune checkpoint therapies, tumor microenvironment modeling, and validation of T cell recognition events. Common assays include western blotting for B2M, RT-qPCR for B2M mRNA, and IFNG-induced MHC class I upregulation experiments. For further details or customized applications, please contact Ascent Research.
