Luciferase, iRFP, eGFP, NIS Cell Lines

Imanis offers a wide range of high-quality, ready-to-use reporter gene cell lines that can be used to monitor tumors in living animals through noninvasive imaging. Our expanding catalog includes multiple human and mouse cancer cell line models stably expressing a variety of reporter genes (luciferase, GFP, iRFP, or NIS sodium iodide symporter) giving you more options to best meet your research needs! Read about selecting the optimal reporter gene for your research here.

Better Reporter Gene Expression

We use high-efficiency lentiviral vector transduction methods to generate our stable reporter gene cell lines. The reporter gene is stably integrated in the target cell genome to ensure stable reporter gene expression during continued passaging in culture. Importantly, an antibiotic selection gene (either puromycin or neomycin) is coupled to the reporter gene of interest to ensure that the cells express high levels of the desired reporter gene. Another option for purchase is the monoclonal reporter gene cell lines that are generated and selected with high stringency. Imanis Life Sciences monoclonal cell lines undergo several rounds of antibiotic selection to optimize high reporter gene expression. Reporter gene expression in each of our cell lines is driven by the spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) promoter in the lentiviral vector, which results in high constitutive expression in a wide range of mammalian cells and mouse models. Thus, Imanis stable reporter gene cell lines are perfectly suited for in vivo imaging studies, where the high reporter gene expression facilitates detection of fewer implanted cells. Cannot decide which reporter gene to use for your research? Read about selecting the optimal reporter gene for your research here.

Multi-Modality Imaging

Imanis offers more options for in vivo imaging due to our unique selection of reporter genes. Our cancer cell models are available with one, or a combination, of our four main reporters: enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), firefly luciferase (Fluc), near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP), or the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS). These reporter genes offer the flexibility to choose the imaging modality that will best meet your needs and equipment, whether it be intravital or conventional microscopy using eGFP, noninvasive in-life imaging using Fluc or iRFP, or noninvasive, high-resolution 3D PET/SPECT imaging using NIS. Learn about the pros and cons of NIS reporter gene imaging here.

Highest Quality Cells

You can choose Imanis with confidence because our cell lines undergo extensive quality control analyses by our scientists. In addition to ensuring sterility, each cell line undergoes rigorous testing for reporter gene expression, so you get only the best reporter-expressing cell lines. All our cell lines are certified mycoplasma free. Moreover, our parental cell lines are authenticated with short tandem repeat (STR) profiling, in accordance with recommendations by the NIH as well as several other funding organizations and major publishers*.

*It has been estimated that ~18-36% of cell lines utilized in biomedical research are contaminated or completely misidentified (Hughes et al., BioTechniques 2007). Consequently, verification of cell line identity is of critical significance. Several funding organizations, including the NIH, and major publishers, such as those affiliated with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), have established requirements for cell line authentication prior to publication.