SH-SY5Y

The original cell line, called SK-N-SH, from which it was subcloned was isolated from a bone marrow biopsy taken from a four-year-old female with neuroblastoma.

They are adrenergic in phenotype but also express dopaminergic markers and, as such, have been used to study Parkinson's disease, neurogenesis, and other characteristics of brain cells.

SH-SY5Y was cloned from a bone marrow biopsy-derived line called SK-N-SH by the laboratory of June Biedler and first reported in 1973.

[2] The cloning process involved the selection of individual cells or clusters expressing neuron-like characteristics.

SH-SY5Y cells possess an abnormal chromosome 1, where there is an additional copy of a 1q segment and is referred to trisomy 1q.

Certain treatments such as retinoic acid, BDNF, or TPA can force the cells to dendrify and differentiate.

Therefore, it is recommended not to be used after passage 20 or verify specific characteristics such as noradrenaline uptake or neuronal tumor markers.

SH-SY5Y cells can form mounds of undifferentiated cells, which then spread differentiated cells into the surrounding area. This growth formation can be referred to as the "over-easy formation"
Morphology and cell distribution pattern of terminnally differentiated SH-SY5Y cells
The SH-SY5Y cells are dense and considered to be confluent at this stage