CA46

The CA46 cell line is a human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-negative Burkitt lymphoma line established from the ascitic fluid of a patient with advanced disease. As an EBV-negative, MYC-driven model, CA46 offers a uniquely clean genetic background for dissecting the intrinsic mechanisms of B-cell lymphomagenesis without confounding viral latency programs.

The hallmark of CA46 cells is the canonical t(8;14)(q24;q32) translocation, which juxtaposes the c-MYC oncogene to the immunoglobulin heavy-chain enhancer, driving constitutive MYC overexpression. This single oncogenic hit faithfully represents the pathogenesis of sporadic Burkitt lymphoma. Phenotypically, the cells display a germinal center B-cell profile (CD10⁺, CD19⁺, CD20⁺, CD38⁺) and express surface IgM with lambda light-chain restriction, confirming clonal B-cell origin. They proliferate rapidly in suspension as single-cell lymphoblasts, enabling facile large-scale expansion, reproducible in vitro assays, and amenability to genetic manipulation, including electroporation and lentiviral transduction.

Importantly, the absence of EBV latent proteins (EBNA1, LMP1) eliminates viral interference with key signaling pathways such as NF-κB and BCL-2, making CA46 an ideal platform for studying MYC transcriptional networks, B-cell receptor signaling, and apoptosis regulation. The cells carry a wild-type TP53 gene (though MDM2 may be overexpressed), providing a defined apoptotic axis for drug sensitivity studies. When inoculated subcutaneously or systemically into immunodeficient mice, CA46 forms aggressive tumors that mimic clinical Burkitt lymphoma histology and lactate dehydrogenase elevation, supporting preclinical evaluation of targeted therapies.