Cultrex® Basement Membrane Extracts
Basement membranes are sheets of extracellular matrix found at the base of all lumen-lining epithelial and endothelial cells. They are composed of basement membrane proteins, including collagen IV, laminin I, heparan sulfate proteoglycan and entactin.
All Cultrex® Basement Membrane Extract products are manufactured under strict GMP guidelines, ensuring the highest quality and reproducibility.
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- Cultrex® BME: multipurpose BME (available in concentrations from 12-17 mg/ml), qualified for angiogenesis, tumorgenicity, migration, growth, differentiation, and neurite outgrowth assays.
- Cultrex® 3-D Culture Matrix: reduced growth factor BME qualified, lot-to-lot, specifically for 3-D culture studies. Provides the foundation for cells to grow in three dimensions, allowing structures to form in vitro. Consistent concentration range: 13-16 mg/ml.
- Cultrex® HC20 BME: high concentration (20mg/ml) for in vivo angiogenesis assays and cell migration assays.
- Cultrex® Mouse Laminin I: Laminin I is a major component of BME and is also purified from murine EHS sarcoma. Laminin I increases cell adhesion, migration, growth, differentiation, neurite outgrowth, protease production, and malignancy. Suitable for stem cell culture.
- Cultrex® PathClear®BME :
Tested by PCR for 31 pathogens and viruses, including LDEV.
See also products listed under Tools for 3D Cell Culture.
Product Details:
Basement membranes are continuous sheets of specialized extracellular matrix that form an interface between endothelial, epithelial, muscle, or neuronal cells and their adjacent stroma. Basement membranes are degraded and regenerated during development and wound repair. They not only support cells and cell layers, but they 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 is a soluble form of basement membrane purified from Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) tumor. The extract gels at 37°C to form a reconstituted basement membrane. The major components of the Basement Membrane Extract include laminin I, collagen IV, entactin, and heparin sulfate proteoglycan. The Basement Membrane Extract can be used for promotion and maintenance of a differentiated phenotype in a variety of cell cultures including primary epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells. It has been employed in angiogenesis assays, tumor cell invasion assays, and as a vehicle to augment the tumorigenicity of injected tumor cells in nude mice.
| Applications: |
The many applications for Cultrex Basement Membrane Extract, require different thicknesses and concentrations. Examples include use of diluted extract at <5 mg/ml for support of primary cell propagation; higher concentration >5 mg/ml for cell propagation and differentiation studies. Basement Membrane Extract is ideal for Tube Assay, Ring Assay, cell invasion studies, in vivo and in vitro angiogenesis assays, tumorgenicity and 3D Culture Assays. |
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| Source: |
Murine Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) tumor |
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| Storage: |
Store at -20°C or colder in a manual defrost freezer. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. |
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| Related Articles: |
Fridman, R., Kibbey, M.C., Royce, L.S., Zain, M., Sweeny, T.M., Jicha, D.L., Yannelli, J.R., Martin, G.R., Kleinman, H.K. 1991. Enhanced Tumor Growth of Both Primary and Established Human and Murine Tumor Cells in Athymic Mice afer Coinjection with Matrigel. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 83:769-774. |