The Caco-2 cell line is an immortalized line of heterogeneous human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells, developed by the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research through research conducted by Dr. Jorgen Fogh.

The Caco-2 cell line is widely used with in vitro assays to predict the absorption rate of candidate drug compounds across the intestinal epithelial cell barrier. The assay requires that drug absorption rates be determined 21 days after Caco-2 cell seeding to allow for monolayer formation and cell differentiation.

Caco-2 may also refer to a cell monolayer absorption model. Cell-based functional assays, such as the Caco-2 drug transport model for assessing intestinal transport, are extremely valuable for screening lead compounds in drug discovery.

These cells are very similar to non cancerous epithelial cells between the passage of 6-35 before losing the ability to differentiate.

[edit] See also

• Cell culture
• Drug development
• Pre-clinical development
• Chinese Hamster Ovary cell

[edit] References

• Artursson P, Palm K, Luthman K., Caco-2 monolayers in experimental and theoretical predictions of drug transport, Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2001 Mar 1;46(1-3):27-43.
• Shah P, Jogani V, Bagchi T, Misra A., Role of Caco-2 cell monolayers in prediction of intestinal drug absorption, Biotechnol Prog. 2006 Jan-Feb;22(1):186-98.

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