HL-60 Xenograft Model Service for AML

The HL-60 cell line, established from a human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient, provides an exceptional and translationally validated in vivo platform for investigating the molecular pathology of myeloid malignancies and assessing the therapeutic efficacy of novel antileukemic candidates. As a leading pre-clinical contract research organization, Alfa Cytology offers an integrated, comprehensive HL-60 Xenograft Model Service designed to deliver high-quality, reproducible datasets that effectively accelerate your AML drug discovery and development pipeline.

Overview of HL-60 Xenograft Model for AML

The HL-60 xenograft model represents a highly specialized and deeply characterized in vivo translational tool widely deployed in hematological malignancy research, specifically targeting AML. By transplanting human HL-60 promyelocytic cells into optimized immunodeficient mouse models, this system effectively recapitulates the systemic dissemination, bone marrow homing kinetics, and peripheral blood pathophysiological profiles characteristic of human leukemic progression.

Biologically, the HL-60 model is highly valued for its stable engraftment parameters and robust cellular proliferation, providing pre-clinical investigators with a predictable and reliable experimental window to evaluate novel targeted therapeutics. This model maintains critical human myeloid molecular features, including specific cell-surface antigen expressions alongside native intracellular signaling profiles that drive promyeloblast expansion. Consequently, the HL-60 platform is extensively utilized in global pre-clinical screening operations to determine the anti-leukemic potency of small-molecule inhibitors, targeted monoclonal antibodies, novel immunotherapies, and combination systemic chemotherapy regimens.

Fig 1. Curcumin and Ara-C displayed synergistic effect in mice but not in cell lines. (Liu J, et al., 2022)

Cell Line Information: HL-60

The HL-60 cell line was originally established from the peripheral blood of a patient diagnosed with AML. These cells grow as suspended cultures under standard in vitro parameters, maintaining a stable promyelocytic phenotype and providing an excellent genetic proxy for modern hematological oncology studies.

Our Services

Workflow of HL-60 Xenograft Model Construction

• Cell Culture & Quality Control: Human HL-60 cells are expanded in vitro utilizing certified nutrient suspension media under optimized growth parameters. STR authentication and mycoplasma clearance verification are completed prior to harvesting to ensure absolute phenotypic identity and biological purity.
• Host Selection & Acclimatization: Standardized, healthy immunodeficient mice (typically highly permissive strains such as NSG or NOD/SCID to support hematological engraftment) are sourced from validated vendors. The animals undergo a dedicated acclimatization phase within a controlled facility to stabilize baseline biological metrics.
• Precision Inoculation: A calibrated suspension of high-viability HL-60 cells is prepared in a sterile physiological buffer. The cellular suspension is precisely inoculated in vivo into the host cohorts via tail vein intravenous routes to facilitate systemic leukemic distribution.
• Longitudinal Growth Tracking: Following inoculation, leukemic progression is systematically monitored using FACS to detect human CD45+ or specific myeloid markers in peripheral blood samples. Animal body weights, physical baselines, and clinical symptoms of leukemic burden are routinely cataloged.
• Stratification & Dosing: Once peripheral leukemic chimerism reaches a predetermined, statistically optimal range, the mice are randomized into matched experimental cohorts. This stratification step ensures balanced baseline systemic dimensions across all groups before customized therapeutic dosing regimens commence.

Fig 2. HL-60 Xenograft Model Construction Workflow

Case Study - HL-60 Xenograft Model Development

A pre-clinical validation study was conducted utilizing the HL-60 xenograft model to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a novel small-molecule inhibitor targeting myeloid cell survival pathways in AML. Following precision intravenous inoculation of human HL-60 cells into immunodeficient mice, the animals demonstrated steady, systemic leukemic engraftment and a highly predictable disease progression across the study cohorts. Animals assigned to the active treatment group exhibited a clear, statistically significant reduction in circulating leukemic blasts and prolonged survival times compared to the vehicle control group, confirming the model's high sensitivity and robust predictive reliability for screening targeted AML therapies.

Why Choose Alfa Cytology?

• Oncology Domain Expertise: Specialized knowledge in the cultivation and maintenance of diverse squamous cell carcinoma lineages, providing reliable in vivo platforms for complex AML studies.
• Rigorous Quality Control: Stringent validation at every phase of in vitro and in vivo processing to completely eliminate confounding biological variables.
• Tailored Experimental Design: Flexible study frameworks accommodating custom mouse strain choices, specific dosing routes, and orthotopic or subcutaneous inoculation pathways.
• High-Resolution Deliverables: Every project concludes with a detailed, audit-ready data report providing comprehensive digital caliper metrics and robust statistical validations.

Contact us

Accelerating your AML pipeline requires a pre-clinical partner with the technical proficiency to execute rigorous in vivo workflows flawlessly. If you are looking to advance your novel compound or require specialized pre-clinical testing utilizing our HL-60 platform, please reach out to us today to discuss your project layout with our scientific team.

For research use only. Not intended for any clinical use.