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Growth Factors for Cell Culture
Growth factors are the unique cell signaling molecules that play important roles in cell proliferation and development. It's a fact that cell cultures can greatly benefit from the use of pure, high quality proteins.
To help ensure our growth factors are of high quality, we've designed Gibco growth factors with:
- High biological activity—more results with less protein
- High purity—minimized interference from proteins or other contaminants
- Proven compatibility—Gibco proteins bioassayed with Gibco media
Gibco recombinant growth factors for cell culture
Fibroblast Growth Factor basic, bFGF, FGF basic or FGF 2, belongs to a large FGF protein family involved in many aspects of development including cell proliferation, growth, and differentiation. FGF-basic is a critical component for maintaining embryonic stem cells in culture in an undifferentiated state.
EGF, Epidermal Growth Factor, acts a potent mitogenic factor that plays an important role in the growth, proliferation and various epidermal and epithelial tissues in vivo and in vitro and of some fibroblasts in cell culture. Dysregulation of EGF production has been associated with the growth and progression of certain cancers.
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a used in the maintenance of motor neurons and the differentiation of both cholinergic and dopaminergic neurons.
Human Interleukin 2 (IL2) causes proliferation of T-cells and is a central regulator of immune responses. IL2 stimulates the growth and differentiation of B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, lymphocyte activated killer (LAK) cells, monocytes/macrophages and oligodendrocytes.
Vascular Endothelial Cell Growth Factor (VEGF), is a part of the platelet-derived family of growth factors. VEGF is involved in endothelial cell proliferation, angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. VEGF has also been shown to be chemotactic for monocytes and osteoblasts.
Granulocyte Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) is involved in many biological responses including the growth and development of granulocyte and macrophage progenitor cells, stimulation and the initiation of differentiation of myeloblasts and monoblasts, and chemotaxis of eosinophils.
PeproTech recombinant proteins and GMP cytokines
For those who seek a consistent supply of recombinant cytokines throughout the drug discovery and development journey, Gibco PeproTech cytokines and growth factors are manufactured solely in-house to maintain quality and provide high compatibility across the RUO-to-GMP spectrum.
Open the links below and learn more about growth factors
Growth factor validation and quality
Function
Figure 1. High purity. SDS-PAGE analysis of purified recombinant human RANTES (Cat. No. PHC1054) and mouse SCF (Cat. No. PMC2114).
Figure 2. Structural homogeneity. The SDS-PAGE gel was run on Human BMP-2 (Cat. No. PHC7145) under reducing (lanes 2 and 3) and non-reducing (lanes 4 and 5) conditions. Under non-reducing conditions, BMP-2 is seen as a dimer, consistent with biologically active BMP-2.
Activity
Figure 3. More bioactive protein due to exceptional refolding techniques. Proliferation of MO7e cells in response to SCF from Gibco and the competitor (Cat. No. PHC2115). As illustrated by the lower ED50, less Gibco SCF is required to yield a response.
Figure 4. Protease activity confirms protein functionality. Enzymatic activity of Kallikrein 4 (KLK4) was measured by its ability to cleave fluorogenic peptide substrate Boc-Val-Pro-Arg-AMC. The end product is measured using fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths of 380 nm and 460 nm, respectively.
Figure 5. High bioactivity of FGF-basic. Proliferation of Balb/3T3 cells in response to FGF (Cat. No. PHG0024) is demonstrated. Gibco FGF-basic is more active than the competitor’s FGF-basic.
Figure 6. Calcium flux confirms expected biological response. Calcium flux activation was observed by stimulating Fura-2–loaded rat PMNs with the Gibco chemokine CINC-2β.
Get the “growth facts” about growth factors
To help you get your desired cell culture results every time, we’ve compiled a list from experienced researchers of important facts about growth factors.
The growth facts
- Stanley Cohen of Vanderbilt University and Rita Levi-Montalcini of the Institute of Cell Biology of the CNR won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1986 for their 1962 discovery of the growth factors NGF & EGF.
- The sequence of amino acids permits growth factors to be grouped by family, suggesting that they evolved from a single ancestral protein.
- Since the protein sequences display high homology, Gibco growth factors may be used with cells from many species.
- The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control along with the WHO maintain reference standards for many growth factors. Gibco growth factors are calibrated according to these standards when available.
- ED50 is reported as a range because many cell-based assays exhibit assay-to-assay variation that is independent of the inherent biological activity of the protein. The ED50 range is derived from multiple independent assays of a given lot.
- The half max value (50%) of a biological response is equivalent to one unit (1 U) of activity.
- Interferon, the first cytokine discovered, was identified by British virologist Alick Isaacs and the Swiss researcher Jean Lindenmann in 1957 during their studies on virus interference.
- Growth factors, like most proteins, are more stable when stored in undiluted, concentrated form. They should not be repeatedly frozen and thawed.
Product literature
Growth Factor Supplementation for Specific Cells
Find optimal conditions and concentrations of growth factors for particular cell types.
Reference Chart
Resources
Cell Culture & Transfection Learning Center
Access cell culture and transfection educational resources for better experiment planning and execution.
Media Formulation Tool
Find the right Gibco media formulation for DMEM, DMEM/F-12, MEM, and RPMI-1640 media.
Related products
Support
Cell Culture & Transfection Support Center
Find technical support recommendations for your cell culture and transfection workflows, including tips for experimental setup and in-depth troubleshooting help.
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