Critical commentary demonstrates cross-contamination of SMMC-7721 cells with HeLa lineages, suggesting reported liver cancer mechanisms require re-evaluation in authenticated models.
SMMC-7721 has long been used as a presumed human hepatocellular carcinoma model, but authentication studies have shown that it is HeLa-derived rather than a genuine liver cancer cell line. This short communication discusses the consequences of using SMMC-7721 as an HCC model in a recent study on quercetin-induced immunogenic cell death and cGAS-STING pathway activation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Because data generated in SMMC-7721 reflect a HeLa-derived cellular background, conclusions regarding anti-HCC activity, liver-cancer-specific mechanisms, compound selectivity, and therapeutic relevance require qualification or reassessment in authenticated hepatocellular carcinoma models. The commentary emphasizes the importance of cell-line authentication, appropriate model selection, and transparent reporting to ensure reliability and reproducibility in preclinical liver cancer research.
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Ralf Weiskirchen (2026) studied this question.
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