Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC) - FAQs

View additional product information for Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC) - FAQs (A10565)

12 product FAQs found

Is it difficult to culture/passage Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC)?

No. HMEC cultures are easily initiated at 2.5 x 10E3 cells per cm2 in standard tissue culture plasticware and passaged using a trypsin/EDTA solution.

How many T-25 flasks can I seed from 1 vial of Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC)?

One vial (500,000 viable cells) can seed eight T-25 flasks at 2,500 viable cells per cm2. A hemocytometer should be used to accurately count cells and to help ensure an appropriate seeding density.

What is the difference between M171 and HuMEC growth media?

Both media are designed for culture of HMEC. However, in-house studies show HuMEC Ready Medium (Thermo Fisher Scientific Cat. No. 12752-010) outperforms M171/MEGS (Thermo Fisher Scientific Cat. No. M-171-500/S-015-5) in both growth rate and lifespan measurements of HMEC. There is no difference between media when staining for cell-specific markers using indirect ICC.

How does passage number correlate with population doublings for Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC)?

One passage is equivalent to approximately 4 population doublings when using the recommended subculture conditions.

What are typical doubling times for Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC)?

HMEC usually have population doubling times of 24-30 hr during the guaranteed lifespan.

How many passages/population doublings can I expect from Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC)?

HMEC are guaranteed for a minimum of 16 population doublings after thaw.

Are Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC) "normal" cells?

Yes. HMEC are isolated from normal, human reduction mammoplasty tissue.

What media do you use during the first passage of primary cells?

We use various media and supplements for the various primary cells. Details can be found here (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/cell-culture/primary-cell-culture.html).

How is the population doubling calculated for primary cells?

Cumulative population doublings are calculated from the seeding density and harvesting density from each culture level.

What are typical primary cell yields from tissue?

It varies a lot depending on the age of donor, size of tissues, locations, and conditions arrived to our facility. Sometime a small amount of tissue gives us many cells and sometimes a large amount of tissue gives us a very small lot. Typically, we can get 30-300 vials.

Are primary cells isolated from tissue using enzymatic digestion?

Yes, our primary cells are isolated from tissue using enzymatic digestion.

What are primary cells?

Primary cells are cells taken directly from living tissue (e.g., biopsy material) and established for growth in vitro. These cells have undergone very few population doublings and are therefore more representative of the main functional component of the tissue from which they are derived in comparison to continuous (tumor or artificially immortalized) cell lines, making primary cells a more representative model for the in vivo state.

Primary cells from different species may be used, allowing you to highlight potential differences between humans and preclinical test species. Before in vivo studies, mouse or rat cells can be used to refine doses and reduce the number of animals required for preclinical toxicology. Human cells can be used to determine the accuracy of extrapolating human data from an animal model.