The The VM7Luc ER TA test method: An In Vitro Assay for Identifying Human Estrogen Receptor Agonist and Antagonist Activity of Chemicals

The VM7Luc ER TA test method (also known as the LUMI-CELL® test method) was developed by Xenobiotic Detection Systems, Inc., with support from NIEHS Small Business Innovation Research grant ES10533-03. The test method measures the extent to which a substance induces or inhibits transcriptional activity (TA) via ER-mediated pathways in recombinant VM7Luc4E2 cells.

The VM7Luc4E2 cell line was derived from the MCF7 human breast cancer cell line that endogenously express both human ER forms, ERα and ERβ, and that have been stably transfected with the plasmid pGudLuc7.ERE. This plasmid contains four copies of a synthetic oligonucleotide containing the estrogen response element upstream of the mouse mammary tumor viral promoter and the firefly luciferase gene. VM7Luc4E2 cells emit measurable light in response to estrogen and estrogen-like substances.

In 2016, NICEATM received new information regarding the LUMI-CELL® test. DNA testing has now shown that the original cell line used to develop the test was not the BG1 human ovarian carcinoma cell line. It was a variant of the MCF7 human breast cancer cell line.
The cell line used in the test, originally referred to as BG1Luc4E2 (Rogers and Denison 2000), will now be designated as VM7Luc4E2 ("V" = variant; "M7" = MCF7 cells). Likewise, the test will now be generically referred to as the VM7Luc ER TA test. While this changes the origin of the cell line upon which the test is based, it does not affect published validation studies nor the use and application of this test for screening of estrogenic/anti-estrogenic chemicals.