Epithelial Progenitor-Cell-Targeted (PCT) Media

Millipore is proud to be the distributor of CELLnTEC’s new range of Progenitor Cell Targeted (PCT) epithelial cell culture media. These media have been proven to:

Significantly increase the number of progenitor cells in primary cultures
Remove serum and feeders from the culture
Provide a defined environment that fosters the growth of progenitor cells
Cut primary culture expansion time by up to one-third

CELLnTEC PCT media retain many more progenitor cells in culture than standard undefined media. By specifically targeting and retaining progenitor cells during isolation and early passage culture, PCT media deliver up to 5x more cells, improved morphology and growth rate, plus extended lifespan in vitro. » View Media Selection Guide

PCT Technology Improves Isolation & Growth of Epithelial Tissues

PCT media and their associated protocols make the establishment of primary cell cultures from tissue significantly easier and more efficient in either a fully defined or low-BPE environment Progenitor cells represent between 10% to 15% of the total number of cells in some tissues. When using traditional culture media for isolation, the majority of these cells are quickly lost from the culture as they differentiate and die. In contrast, the PCT media are designed to target and retain progenitor cells allowing improved isolation and normal growth for a wide range of human and rodent epithelial cells.

PCT Media Elimininate or Minimize the Need for Variable Undefined Components

When media components are undefined, and demonstrate high lot-to-lot variability, reproducibility becomes very difficult and costly. Unknown factors in the medium can induce differentiation and make expansion and maintenance of the culture impossible. Optimal work with stem and progenitor cells require media which are either fully defined, or contain only minimal amounts of non-defined components. PCT media do not require FCS or feeder cells, and are available in either fully defined or low-BPE formulations, thereby minimizing the use of variable non-defined components, without any loss of isolation efficiency, proliferation or optimal morphology.

Epithelial PCT Media*

Epithelial culture media are available for a wide range of epithelial cell types, including skin, airway, prostate, cornea, bladder, mammary and vaginal epithelium. Optimized variations for specific species such as mouse, human and rat are also available. Each medium is supplied as a 500 mL kit, containing basal medium and all necessary supplements. No further additions are necessary.

Comparison of the isolation efficiency of 3 different culture media, showing that CELLnTEC’S CnT-07, from Millipore, delivers significantly more cells than major competitors. Data supplied by customer.

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Media Selection Guide

Various media types are available depending on your application.

1. PCT defined media: specifically retain progenitor cells in an undifferentiated state. Offer the highest efficiency isolation and growth in a completed defined environment.

2. PCT low-BPE media: combine all the progenitor cell retention benefits of PCT with the growth boost of BPE for the absolute best cell isolation and growth performance.

3. Non-PCT media: defined media used for differentiation of cells isolated and maintained in the corresponding PCT medium.

Tissue	Species	PCT Medium (Defined)	PCT Medium (Low BPE)	Non-PCT (Differentiation)
Skin	H/M	CnT-07	CnT-57	CnT-02
	Rat	CnT-03		CnT-33
	Dog			CnT-09*
Prostate	H	CnT-12	CnT-52
	Rat	CnT-11
Airway	H	CnT-17		CnT-23
	Rat	CnT-14		CnT-34
	Rat	CnT-15		CnT-35
Mammary	H	CnT-27	CnT-54	CnT-22
Cornea	H	CnT-20	CnT-50	CnT-30
Oral	H	CnT-24		CnT-32
Vaginal	H	CnT-19	CnT-55	CnT-39
Bladder	H	CnT-18	CnT-58	CnT-21
	Rat	CnT-16		CnT-36
Fibroblasts	H/M			CnT-05*
H: Human. M: Mouse *Contains serum, not BPE, and is used also for isolation

Primary Human Cell Systems*

Primary cell systems established from skin and other epithelia using PCT media are now available. Primary cultures isolated in PCT media offer enriched progenitor cell populations, high growth rate, and extended longevity due to the improved progenitor cell retention. All primary cell systems are provided as a kit including a vial of frozen cells, and a kit of the appropriate PCT basal culture medium and all required supplements.

Enrichment of stem/progenitor cells. FACS analysis showing the percentage of double labelled (CD34/alpha6-integrin) keratinocyte progenitor/stem cells increases from 6% at isolation up to 68% after 3 passages in CnT-07, a fully defined PCT medium.

Long-term Cell Systems*

Cells isolated and maintained in PCT media often provide extended longevity in-vitro. Long-term rodent cell systems are available from skin, prostate, and airway tissue, and come with guaranteed longevity. These cells are provided at approximately passage 25, and come with all the necessary protocols to provide you with months and years of growth in your laboratory. All long-term cell systems are provided as a kit including a vial of frozen cells, and a kit of the appropriate PCT basal culture medium and all required supplements.

Cost effective cell culture reagents

Routine cell culture reagents such as antibiotic/antimycotic solution and Protease (Dispase) are also available. For your convenience, our anitibiotic/antimycotic solution is also available in pre-aliquoted form – simply add one vial to each 500 mL of medium. For optimal isolation efficiency, many CELLnTEC protocols recommend the use of Dispase for isolation – this is also available in a convenient 1 gram pack size of functionally tested enzyme.

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