RBE Cells

The RBE cell line is a human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CC) cell line derived from a 64-year-old female patient. This cell line was established alongside a sarcomatoid counterpart (SSP-25) from the same tumor nodule, highlighting the coexistence of adenocarcinoma and sarcomatoid components within a single CC lesion. RBE cells are characterized by their epithelial morphology, growing as a monolayer with a Epithelial-like appearance, which is typical of epithelial cells. Phenotypically, the RBE cell line expresses key markers associated with cholangiocarcinoma. These include cytokeratins CK7 and CK19, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and vimentin. Additionally, mucin production is detected in approximately half of the RBE cells, as evidenced by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. These features confirm the adenocarcinoma origin of RBE cells and distinguish them from the SSP-25 cell line, which lacks CEA, CA19-9, and mucin expression.