COS-7

COS-7 is one of several types of COS (CV-1 in Origin with SV40 genes) cell lines commonly used today. The COS-7 cell line was established by Professor Yakov Gluzman in 1981 and is derived from a CV-1 African green monkey fibroblast cell line by transformation with a mutant strain of Simian Virus 40 (SV40) that codes for the wild-type T-antigen. COS cell lines are used to study SV40 monkey viruses and as a common mammalian production cell for recombinant proteins, such as antibodies and signaling molecules. COS-7 cells most resemble human fibroblast cells and are thus often called COS-7 monkey fibroblast or COS-7 fibroblast-like cells. For added clarification, COS-7 cells are not primary cells.