hTERT-immortalized gingival fibroblasts respond to cytokines but fail to mimic primary cell responses to Porphyromonas gingivalis

In periodontitis, gingival fibroblasts (GFs) interact with and respond to oral pathogens, significantly contributing to perpetuation of chronic inflammation and tissue destruction. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of the recently released hTERT-immortalized GF (TIGF) cell line for studies of host–pathogen interactions. We show that TIGFs are unable to upregulate expression and production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and...