Fast Forward your Organoid Growth and Xenograft Models

Variability of the cellular microenvironment is a major issue affecting the physiological relevance of cell culture. Factors contributing to this variability include: organ specific stromal cells, growth factors, proteoglycan & protein composition, and stiffness or tensile strength of the BME. It's interesting in light of this variability that for the past 25 years the scientific community has been forced to use just one commercial ECM matrix formulation for cell attachment. As a result we've developed two additional formulations of Cultrex Basement Membane Extract (BME) as part of our growing range of technologies for physiologically relevant cell growth and behaviour:

Now you can choose between

• BME 2: our proprietary formulation with higher tensile strength than our original BME (now sold as BME 1): the growth factor reduced version is recommended as organoid growth matrix ( 3D culture from stem cells) � see examples below�



• BME 3 (xenograft matrix) is physiologically aligned with the in vivo tumor environment and is recommended for xenografts and other in vivo applications. Images and protocol available on request.

Figure 1: Mammary cancer organoid from mice, grown on / invading into BME 2, Reduced Growth Factor. Image courtesy of Tuula Kallunki, Danish Cancer Research Society

Figure 2: Human Colorectal Cancer (CRC) tumor organoids, grown from single cells on BME 2, Reduced Growth Factor. Images courtesy of the Batlle lab, IRB Barcelona

Basement membranes are sheets of extracellular matrix that form an interface between endothelial, epithelial, muscle, or neuronal cells and adjacent stroma. Basement membranes are degraded and regenerated during development and wound repair. They not only support cells and cell layers, but also play an essential role in tissue organization that affects cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Basement membranes provide major barriers to invasion by metastatic tumor cells. Cultrex^® Basement Membrane Extract (BME) is a soluble form of basement membrane, purified from Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) tumors, which gels at 37^oC. Major components include laminin, collagen IV, entactin and heparin sulfate proteoglycan. BME can be used for growth promotion or for differentiation of precursor cells, under a variety of cell culture conditions. BME has also been employed in cell attachment, neurite outgrowth, angiogenesis assays, in vitro cell invasion and in vivo tumorigenicity assays.

Extensive Pathogen / Sterility Testing:

The PathClear^® designation for EHS derived material means that in addition to standard sterility, endotoxin and MAP testing, the basement membrane extract (BME) is tested by PCR and is clear of 31 pathogens and viruses, including lactate dehydrogenase elevating virus (LDEV), which replicates in macrophages. Each lot is rigorously qualified in biological performance assays.  PathClear^® BME is ideal for in vivo murine research work and other work requiring BME free from viruses, bacteria and mycoplasma.