Human Epidermal Keratinocytes, neonatal (HEKn) - FAQs

View additional product information for Human Epidermal Keratinocytes, neonatal (HEKn) - FAQs (C0015C)

10 product FAQs found

I see large, flat pancake-looking cells in my keratinocyte culture. What are they?

These are senescent cells, and this is normal for adult keratinocyte culture. You always have a population of cells that are old and no longer proliferate. However younger cells, which are small in size should keep proliferating. When a culture gets older, you see more and more large cells, and the culture will eventually stop growing. With the right care an attention, the culture should yield at least 25 population doublings.

I see large, flat pancake-looking cells in my Human Keratinodyte culture. What are they?

These are senescent cells, and this is normal for adult keratinocyte culture. You always have a population of cells that are old and no longer proliferate. However younger cells, which are small in size, should keep proliferating. When a culture gets older, you see more and more large cells, and the culture will eventually stop growing. With the right care and attention, the culture should yield at least 25 population doublings.

What is the doubling time for Human Keratinodyte?

Each lot is tested for doubling time and the results are listed on the COA.

Can I specify a donor type for the primary cells you offer?

This information also appears on the COA.

What is the difference between basal cells or basal keratinocytes?

These are all the same. Sometimes Keratinocytes are referred to as basal cells or basal keratinocytes.

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.