Matrigel
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Matrigel is the trade name for the solubilized basement membrane matrix secreted by Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) mouse sarcoma cells produced by Corning Life Sciences. Matrigel resembles the laminin/collagen IV-rich basement membrane extracellular environment found in many tissues and is used by cell biologists as a substrate (basement membrane matrix) for culturing cells.[1][2]
Cell culture
A common laboratory procedure is to dispense small volumes of chilled (4 °C) liquid Matrigel onto plastic tissue culture labware. When incubated at 37 °C (body temperature) the Matrigel proteins polymerize (solidify) producing a recombinant basement membrane that covers the labware's surface.
Cells cultured on Matrigel demonstrate complex cellular behavior that is otherwise difficult to observe under laboratory conditions. For example, endothelial cells create intricate spiderweb-like networks on Matrigel-coated surfaces but not on plastic surfaces.[3] Such networks are highly suggestive of the microvascular capillary systems that suffuse living tissues with blood. Hence, Matrigel allows them to observe the process by which endothelial cells construct such networks that are of great research interest.
Metastasis model
In some instances researchers may prefer to use greater volumes of Matrigel to produce thick three-dimensional gels. Thick gels induce cells to migrate from the gel's surface to its interior. This migratory behavior is studied by researchers as a model of
Cancer drug screening
Pharmaceutical scientists use Matrigel to screen drug molecules. A typical experiment consists of adding a test molecule to Matrigel and observing cellular behavior. Test molecules that promote endothelial cell network formation are candidates for
Constituents
The ability of Matrigel to stimulate complex cell behavior is a consequence of its
Embryonic stem cells
Matrigel is also used as an attachment substrate in
See also
- Hynda Kleinman, co-inventor
- Cultrex
- Myogel
References
- ^ PMID 20162561.)
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