Generation of a HEK293 Cell Line with Stable Expression of Molecular Tools for Thermogenetic Activation

In modern biotechnological and biomedical research, it is often necessary to activate mammalian cells to obtain a specific response, such as changes in membrane potential or generation of action potential in excitable cells and tissues. Thermogenetics provides a rapid and controlled cellular response and is a promising tool for such tasks. In order to explore the potential of thermogenetic approaches, we generated the HEK293 cell line stably expressing the thermosensitive human TRPV1 ion channel. This cell line exhibited an increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ ion concentration upon exposure to temperatures above 39°C and/or addition of capsaicin. The developed model can be used to further study the functional characteristics of exogenously expressed TRPV1 channels in mammalian cells.