• Origin: The MC38 cell line is derived from C57BL/6 murine colon adenocarcinoma cells. The cell line is a commonly used murine model for colorectal carcinoma.
• Background Information: SLC39A6 (also known as ZIP6 or LIV-1) is a member of the SLC39A/ZIP zinc transporter protein family. SLC39A6, a key modulator of zinc homeostasis, is frequently dysregulated in diverse cancers. As zinc acts as a critical secondary messenger that orchestrates multiple oncogenic signaling pathways, SLC39A6 has emerged as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy.
• Gene targeting strategy: The exogenous promoter, human SLC39A6 coding sequences were inserted to replace part of murine exon 3. The insertion disrupts the endogenous murine Slc39a6 gene, resulting in a non-functional transcript.
• Application: The B-hSLC39A6 MC38 tumor models can be used for preclinical evaluation of monoclonal antibody drugs targeting human SLC39A6.

SLC39A6 expression analysis in B-hSLC39A6 MC38 cells by flow cytometry. Single cell suspensions from wild-type MC38 and B-hSLC39A6 MC38 cultures were stained with anti-human SLC39A6 antibody (in-house). Human SLC39A6 was detected on the surface of B-hSLC39A6 MC38 cells but not on wild-type MC38 cells. The 1-B03 clone of B-hSLC39A6 MC38 cells was used for in vivo experiments.

Subcutaneous homograft tumor growth of B-hSLC39A6 MC38 cells. B-hSLC39A6 MC38 (1x10⁶) and wild-type MC38 cells (5x10⁵) were subcutaneously implanted into C57BL/6JNifdc mice (female, 8-week-old, n=6). Tumor volume and body weight were measured twice a week. (A) Average tumor volume ± SEM. (B) Body weight (Mean± SEM). Volume was expressed in mm³ using the formula: V=0.5 X long diameter X short diameter². As shown in panel A, B-hSLC39A6 MC38 were able to establish tumors in vivo and can be used for efficacy studies.