NCTC-135 medium is a chemically defined medium that was originally developed at the National Cancer Institute (Bethesda, MD) and formulated for the culture of mouse Strain L sublines, NCTC clone 929 (L929 cells) in a serum-free environment. Gibco™ NCTC-135 medium has also been used to grow many cells, including HeLa, Ehrlich-Lettre Ascites strain E, NCTC clone 1469, NCTC 4206, mouse C3H, BS-C-1, and hybridoma cell lines.
The complete formulation is available.

Gibco™ NCTC-135 is a modification of NCTC 109 medium that replaced L-cysteine with L-cystine, which reduced toxicity to some cells. NCTC-135 medium is rich in nucleosides contains several unique components to eliminate the need for serum, including coenzymes, glucosamine, reducing agents and additional vitamins.

Product Intended Use
For in vitro diagnostic use. CAUTION: Not for human or animal therapeutic use. Uses other than the labeled intended use may be a violation of local law.

cGMP Manufacturing and Quality System
Gibco™ NCTC-135 medium is manufactured at a cGMP compliant facility located in Paisley, Scotland, UK. The facility is registered with the FDA as a medical device manufacturer and is certified to the ISO 13485 standard.

NCTC-135 medium contains no proteins, lipids, or growth factors. NCTC-135 medium was designed for use without serum for L929 cells, but typically requires supplementation of a growth factor cocktail or Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) for other cells. NCTC-135 medium uses a sodium bicarbonate buffer system (2.2 g / L) and therefore requires a 5-10% CO₂ environment to maintain physiological pH. Some cell lines might require gradual adaptation to a serum-free medium.