Cell Line Authentication Test in India - Why, When, & How!

Cell culture development has significantly changed the area of life sciences and contributed to great advancements in medicine. Research with the use of cell lines is an essential procedure for modeling diseases, stem cell and cancer investigation, and the establishment of therapies. But are you confident that your cell line and biological model are really what you think it is? Did you know that an estimated 18-36% of cell lines are misidentified, cross-contaminated, or genetically drifted with other cell lines? In the past, karyotyping & isoenzyme analysis were used for Cell Line Authentication. However, these techniques needed to be more reliable to distinguish between cell lines. In contrast, STR profiling was reliable, low-cost, and easy authentication method for cell lines. If applied routinely in cell culture management can significantly improve the cell line defects resulting in more accurate assays.

What is Short Tandem Repeats (STR) Profiling? 

Different genomic technologies have been applied to human cell line authentication tests. But only one method, i.e., STR profiling, has been the subject of a definitive standard. 

STR or short tandem repeats is a microsatellite consisting of a unit of 2-13 nucleotides repeated hundreds of times in a row in the DNA strand. The Cell Line Authentication Test analyzes DNA sequences using a minimum of 8 STR loci. A series of steps are involved in the testing process:

STR genotyping of the cell line of interest. Comparing the resultant profile to the reference database. The match formulation technique checks for cross-contamination in the cell lines based on their percent match.Finally, listing the misidentified cell line of interest.

Why does Cell Line Authentication Test Matter?

Cells are the structural & functional units of life. Using the right cell lines in biological and genetic studies and various other purposes is vital. Unfortunately, the cells are prone to biological, environmental degradation & alterations.

There are three significant ways when a cell line authentication test is needed and matters:

MisidentificationGenetic DriftingCross-ContaminationMisidentification: It's the most common way to compromise cell lines' identities. Misidentification occurs at the source. This means that the wrong cell line was collected during collection.Cross-Contamination: Cell lines may become contaminated with other cells, microbes, or environmental pollutants during storage or use.Genetic Drifting: Eventually, cell lines can completely lose their identity and drift (genetically) into a different type of cell, affecting the test results or research.

Why Choose DNA Forensics Laboratory for Cell Line Authentication Tests?

You can outsource this tedious work of cell line authentication tests in India to DNA Forensics Laboratory Pvt. Ltd. We offer complete cell line authentication services using STRs profiling. This enhances researchers' abilities to detect misidentifications, genetic drift, and cross-contamination of cell lines. 

Research Institutes, Pharmaceutical Companies, and Biotechnology Companies are our major clients. Moreover, we are the only company that offers legal DNA tests in India. With 400+ collection centers across India, you can visit your nearest collection center to give your DNA sample. 

For further queries about Cell Line Authentication Tests in India, get in touch with us +91 8010177771 or WhatsApp at +91 9213177771 to schedule an appointment.