RBL (Rat Basophilic Leukaemia) Cell Line

RBL (Rat Basophilic Leukemia cells) are cancerous basophil cells that are well suited for the study of allergies.

Uses

RBL cells are used in allergy studies due to the strong response of the cells to

IgE Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a type of antibody (or immunoglobulin (Ig) " isotype") that has been found only in mammals. IgE is synthesised by plasma cells. Monomers of IgE consist of two heavy chains (ε chain) and two light chains, with the ε c ...

and its

FcεRI The high-affinity IgE receptor, also known as FcεRI, or Fc epsilon RI, is the high-affinity receptor for the Fc region of immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody isotype involved in the allergy disorder and parasites immunity. FcεRI is a tetrame ...

receptor. They are used in place of mast cells due to a higher stability in tissue culture. RBL cells can also be humanized, aiding in the specificity of allergy studies to human patients.

Infections

Mycoplasma ''Mycoplasma'' is a genus of bacteria that, like the other members of the class ''Mollicutes'', lack a cell wall around their cell membranes. Peptidoglycan (murein) is absent. This characteristic makes them naturally resistant to antibiotics ...

bacterial infections greatly affects the cell mediator release for biological assays, therefore regular Mycoplasma tests need to be performed since the bacteria colonizes the cell surface and cannot be visualized through a light microscope.

References

External links

Cellosaurus entry for RBL
Rodent cell lines {{Cell-biology-stub