The IL27 Knockout SK-OV-3 Polyclonal Cells are a CRISPR/Cas9-edited polyclonal knockout cell population derived from the human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line SK-OV-3, engineered to disrupt the IL27 gene. This loss-of-function model enables the study of signaling pathways and cellular processes driven by the IL-27 cytokine in an ovarian cancer context. The polyclonal nature of this product provides a heterogeneous pool of edited cells, each carrying unique disruptive mutations at the target locus, which is ideal for experiments that do not require monoclonal isolation.
The SK-OV-3 parental cell line was originally established from the ascites of a patient with ovarian adenocarcinoma and is widely used in cancer research. As a tumorigenic epithelial line, SK-OV-3 serves as a robust model for investigating ovarian cancer biology, including tumor growth, drug resistance, and metastatic potential. Its well-characterized background makes it an appropriate host for gene-editing studies focused on dissecting oncogenic and immunomodulatory mechanisms.
IL27 encodes the p28 subunit of interleukin-27 (IL-27), a heterodimeric cytokine that complexes with EBI3 to signal through a receptor composed of IL27RA and gp130. Ligand binding activates associated Janus kinases JAK1, JAK2, and TYK2, which phosphorylate transcription factors STAT1 and STAT3. Activated STATs translocate to the nucleus and regulate the expression of downstream targets such as T-bet, IL-12R??2, IL-10, SOCS1, and PD-L1. In the tumor microenvironment, IL-27 can be induced by upstream signals including IFN-??, TLR agonists, CD40 ligand, and TNF-??, shaping both autocrine and paracrine signaling loops that influence immune cell function and tumor behavior.
In SK-OV-3 cells, endogenous IL-27 signaling contributes to the modulation of JAK-STAT pathway activity, impacting key processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, and immunoregulatory molecule expression. Knocking out IL27 disrupts this autocrine/paracrine loop, attenuating STAT1/STAT3 phosphorylation and altering the expression of downstream target genes. This system provides a relevant model to dissect how IL-27 influences ovarian cancer progression, immune evasion, and response to therapeutic interventions. Researchers can use these polyclonal knockout cells to correlate pathway alterations with functional outcomes in a well-defined epithelial ovarian cancer background.
Typical research applications include studying IL-27-mediated effects on ovarian cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and immune cell crosstalk. The knockout cells are suitable for functional assays such as MTT or BrdU proliferation assays, Annexin V apoptosis detection, and Transwell migration/invasion experiments. Signaling status can be monitored by Western blotting for phosphorylated STAT1 and STAT3, while transcriptional changes can be assessed by RT-qPCR for downstream targets like IL-10, SOCS1, or PD-L1. Secreted IL-27 levels can be measured by ELISA, and immunomodulatory potential evaluated via co-culture with immune effector cells and flow cytometric analysis of surface PD-L1 expression. These cells also serve as a platform for drug sensitivity screening and the evaluation of novel immunotherapeutic strategies targeting the IL-27 pathway. For additional information, please contact Ascent Research.
