Patent ID: 6071747
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K,C12N

Abstract:
A cell line comprising immortalized human preadipocytes containing a nucleic acid fragment having at least one immortalizing fragment of a viral oncogene and at least one promoter selected from the group consisting of the promoter of said viral oncogene and the promoter of the human vimentin gene, wherein said immortalized human preadipocytes (a) express at least one of the following proteins: .beta.1- and .beta.2-adrenergic receptors, upcoupling protein (UCP), glucose transporters Glut1 and Glut4, and lipoprotein lipase (LPL); and (b) are capable of being converted to mature human adipocytes which produce fat, contain numerous mitochondria, express the .alpha.2.sub.A - and .beta.3-adrenergic receptors as well as the expression product of the Ob gene, and have an inverted ratio Glut4/Glut1 relative to said immortalized human preadipocytes.