WiDr-NTR

WiDr-NTR cells are genetically modified human colon carcinoma WiDr cells that express Escherichia coli nitroreductase, enabling enzymatic activation of nitroaromatic prodrugs such as CB1954[1-3]. Nitroreductase expression greatly increases prodrug sensitivity and permits activated metabolites to kill neighboring non-expressing cells through a measurable bystander effect; WiDr-NTR and parental cells have therefore been combined in monolayers, three-dimensional multilayers, and mixed xenografts to quantify bystander killing and compare candidate prodrugs^[1][2]. Related studies use nitroreductase-expressing colorectal cells to evaluate replication-selective adenovirus delivery and combined oncolysis/prodrug activation, making this an engineered gene-directed enzyme-prodrug model rather than a distinct disease of origin^[3].