The IFIT1 Knockout SK-HEP-1 Polyclonal Cells product consists of a heterogeneous population of SK-HEP-1 cells modified by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption of the IFIT1 gene. This polyclonal knockout pool preserves the genetic diversity of the parental line while providing a robust loss-of-function system for studying IFIT1??s role in antiviral innate immunity and interferon signaling. Unlike single-cell clones, this format avoids bias from clonal selection, making it suitable for population-level analyses of IFIT1-dependent phenotypes.
The SK-HEP-1 cell line is a human liver adenocarcinoma model originally established from the ascites of a 52-year-old male patient. It is widely used as an epithelial hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model for investigating liver cancer biology and hepatic drug metabolism. These adherent cells retain key features of hepatic physiology, enabling studies of oncogenic signaling, interferon responses, and the liver??s immune microenvironment.
IFIT1 is a key interferon-stimulated gene product that restricts viral replication by binding uncapped viral RNA and inhibiting translation initiation. Its expression is driven by type I interferons (IFN-??/??) through the JAK-STAT pathway, involving IFNAR, JAK1, TYK2, STAT1, STAT2, and IRF9. IFIT1 interacts directly with eIF3 subunits to block translation and also associates with RIG-I, MAVS, and TRIM25, thereby modulating RIG-I-like receptor signaling and amplifying interferon responses.
In the SK-HEP-1 HCC background, IFIT1 knockout creates a relevant model for exploring the intersection of antiviral immunity and liver cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma often develops in the context of chronic viral hepatitis, and IFIT1 loss may increase susceptibility to hepatotropic virus infection. This model permits investigation of how antiviral restriction factors influence hepatocyte transformation, the tumor microenvironment, and responses to interferon-based or oncolytic viral therapies, while also allowing assessment of IFIT1??s impact on hepatic drug metabolism.
Typical research applications include viral infection assays to measure antiviral resistance, interferon stimulation experiments analyzed by RT-qPCR or Western blotting, and RNA immunoprecipitation to examine IFIT1-eIF3 interactions. Reporter assays monitoring ISRE activity and studies of the RIG-I/MAVS pathway are also feasible. These polyclonal knockout cells support dissection of host-virus interactions, liver cancer immunology, and autoimmune pathways. For more information, please contact Ascent Research.
