Cultrex Basement Membrane Extract (BME) is an extracellular matrix hydrogel that has been used extensively in general cell culture applications to study cell attachment, proliferation, and invasion.
Key Benefits:
Ideal for general cell culture application
Polymerizes at 37°C to form a reconstituted basement membrane
Summary for Cultrex Basement Membrane Extract, PathClear
Why Use Cultrex BME?
Cultrex Basement Membrane Extract (BME) is a soluble form of basement membrane purified from Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) tumor. This extract provides a natural extracellular matrix hydrogel that polymerizes at 37°C to form a reconstituted basement membrane. Cultrex BME can be used in multiple applications, including maintaining growth or promoting differentiation of primary endothelial, epithelial, smooth muscle, stem cells, and organoid/3-D cell cultures. It can also be utilized in cell attachment, neurite outgrowth, angiogenesis, in vitro cell invasion, and in vivo tumorigenicity assays.
Basement membranes are continuous sheets of specialized extracellular matrix that form an interface between endothelial, epithelial, muscle, or neuronal cells and their adjacent stroma and that play an essential role in tissue organization by influencing cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. The major components of BME include laminin, collagen IV, entactin, and heparin sulfate proteoglycans.
Product Specifications for Cultrex Basement Membrane Extract, PathClear
Species
Mouse
Source
Murine Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) tumor
Protein Concentration
8-12 mg/mL as determined by Lowry assay
Endotoxin level
≤ 8 EU/mL by Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay
Sterility Testing
No bacterial or fungal growth detected following 14 days in culture
Viral Testing
Tested negative by PCR test for a total of 31 organisms and viruses, including: mycoplasma, 17 bacterial and virus strains typically included in mouse antibody production (MAP) testing, and 13 additional murine infectious agents including LDEV.
Preparation & Storage
Stability
Product is stable for at least two years from date of manufacture when stored at ≤ -70 °C. See lot specific Certificate of Analysis for expiration date.
Shipping Conditions
The product is shipped with dry ice or equivalent. Upon receipt, store it immediately at the temperature recommended on the product label.
Storage
Store the unopened product at -70 °C. Use a manual defrost freezer and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.