H1299

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H1299, or NCI H1299 and 1299, is a lung cancer cell line, one of the cell lines widely used in research. Like other research use cell lines, H1299 cells can divide indefinitely. However, the proliferatability of H1299 is due to the lack of the gene p53, which encodes the tumor protein p53 (also known as TP53 to avoid confusion with the gene name). TP53 has many important functions. One of them is to help the cell cycle check point enforcer genes. In other words, with normal, potent TP53, the cell has to obey the normal regulations of a cell proliferation cycle. A cell can divide only when the environment permits it. When TP53 is damaged or otherwise harmed, or lost, the cell will grow out of control. This is how the H1299 cells acquired the ability to divide indefinitely, which is very different from other immortal cell lines. This is why this cell line has its unique value in research.