media products for human cells

MethoCult^®: The "Gold Standard" methylcellulose-based media for colony assays (CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-GM, CFU-G, CFU-M and CFU-GEMM)

CE Marked IVD MethoCult^®: Methylcellulose-based media for colony assays (CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-GM, CFU-G, CFU-M and CFU-GEMM), available in the European Union

CollagenCult^®: Collagen-based media for colony assays (CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-GM, and CFU-GEMM)

MegaCult^®-C: Collagen-based media for megakaryocytic progenitor assays (CFU-Mk and Mixed Mk)


why use methylcellulose-based media?
There are two key elements to hematopoietic colony assays. One is the use of a culture medium that maximizes the growth and differentiation of the progenitors of interest (and their clonal progeny). The other is the use of a gelling agent which increases the viscosity of the medium without converting it to a solid. This allows the clonal progeny of a single progenitor cell to stay together. Together these properties greatly facilitate the recognition and enumeration of distinct colonies. Methylcellulose is now widely used as a gelling agent because it permits better growth of erythroid colonies than other types of semi-solid support systems (e.g. agar) while allowing optimal granulocyte/macrophage colony formation. Committed progenitors for both erythroid and granulocyte/macrophage lineages, as well as multi-potential progenitors, can therefore be assayed simultaneously in the same culture dish.

why use collagen-based media?
Various semi-solid culture systems have been used for the detection of the clonal growth and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Methylcellulose-based media with the addition of optimal levels of hematopoietic growth factors provides a convenient, reproducible system for the routine quantitation of colony-forming cells of the erythroid and granulocyte/macrophage lineages based on morphological criteria. However, identification of megakaryocytes, which cannot be readily distinguished from certain cell types such as macrophages, requires use of specific staining procedures. Methylcellulose-based cultures cannot be fixed and further cellular or molecular analysis requires that colonies be individually plucked and processed. For certain applications, use of collagen gels provides an attractive alternative to methylcellulose-based semi-solid cultures. Collagen gels have been shown to support the growth of a variety of cell types, including hematopoietic cells.¹ Following incubation, the entire culture can be dehydrated and fixed for subsequent cytochemical or immunocytochemical staining. The resulting slides can be stored long-term, providing an archive of your assay results. To meet the varying needs of researchers, STEMCELL Technologies has developed collagen-based assays for human cells: MegaCult^®-C for the quantitation of colony-forming unit-megakaryocyte (CFU-Mk) and CollagenCult^® for the detection of BFU-E, CFU-GM, and CFU-GEMM.

characteristics of human hematopoietic CFCs

standardization of hematopoietic CFC assays


references
1. Dobo I, Allegraud A, Navenot JM, Boasson M, Bidet JM, Praloran V: Collagen matrix: An attractive alternative to agar and methylcellulose for culture of hematopoietic progenitors in autologous transplantation products. J Hematother 4:: 281-287, 1995


FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY (unless otherwise noted)

CE Marked Products are for In Vitro Diagnostic Use