The intestinal epithelium is composed of diverse cell types, most abundant being the enterocytes. Among other functions, they maintain the intestinal barrier and play a critical role in the absorption of nutrients, drugs and toxins. This study describes the development and characterization of human intestinal epithelial cells (HUIEC), a spontaneously arising cell line established by selective trypsinization and cloning of the intestinal epithelium, resulting in a uniform population of highly epithelial cells with a strong growth potential.