Technical library

Yes, this is possible in many cases.
All PromoCell Human Chondrocytes (C‑12710) are isolated from either the knee joint or the femoral head.
 
Lot‑specific selection
If you specifically require articular chondrocytes from the knee joint, please contact PromoCell Scientific Support before placing your order. They can:

• check current lot availability, and
• provide you with lot numbers corresponding to the desired anatomical origin.

The exact tissue localization for each lot is documented in the Certificate of Analysis (CoA).

PromoCell sources bronchial tissue for the preparation of Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells (HBEpC) from forensic medicine, and thoracic surgery.
 
Donor smoking status
For some HBEpC lots, information on the smoking habits of the donors is available. However, this information is not available for all lots.
 
Recommendation
If donor smoking status is critical for your experimental setup, please contact PromoCell Scientific Support prior to ordering so that lot availability can be checked.

Yes. PromoCell specialized media already contain the optimal amount of L‑glutamine.
In most cases, L‑glutamine is included in the form of a stable glutamine derivative to ensure reliable performance and shelf life.

Important note
Please do not add additional L‑glutamine to PromoCell media. Excess L‑glutamine can be toxic to cells and may negatively affect cell viability and experimental results.

The lead time for customized media at PromoCell is typically 4-8 weeks. 
Our Scientific Support team can help evaluate the feasibility of custom media formulations and advise on available customization options for your specific application.

Pericytes have been shown to differentiate e.g. into adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, fibroblasts/myofibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells, and phagocytes.

Further Information

Diaz-Flores et al.

Fetal calf serum (FCS/FBS) is a natural product that contains a complex and variable mixture of components, including salts, hormones, vitamins, trace elements, proteins, and enzymes. As a result, there can be substantial lot‑to‑lot variations in the concentration of growth‑promoting factors between different serum batches.
The higher the serum content in a culture medium, the greater the impact of this variability on cell growth, phenotype, and experimental reproducibility.
 
PromoCell approach
To minimize these effects, PromoCell has developed a range of serum‑reduced and serum‑free media, in which parts of the serum are replaced by more defined components, such as cytokines, hormones, and vitamins.
 
Benefit of low‑serum formulations
Media with reduced serum content provide:

• more standardized and reproducible culture conditions
• greater consistency over long‑term experiments
• reduced batch‑to‑batch variability

PromoCell Normal Human Cells should be cultured in the appropriate medium at 37°C and 5% CO₂ in a humidified atmosphere. Please note: If using cell culture flasks w/o filter cap, unscrew the cap by half a turn to allow sufficient ventilation.

We have many customers who perform starvation with our HUVECs. Most of them use Endothelial Cell Basal Medium supplemented with FCS (0.5-1% for shorter periods; 5-20% for 24-48 hrs). The cells have to be in a good condition and the experiment should be terminated soon after starvation. Prolonged periods will induce apoptosis.

Yes. Experimental starvation can be performed with PromoCell Normal Human Cells using PromoCell media. However, starvation conditions must be optimized individually for each cell type.
In practice, starvation is typically achieved by:

• Culturing cells in basal medium
• Reducing growth factor concentrations
• Lowering the FBS content (if serum is used)

Important considerations

• Cells should be in good overall condition before starting starvation.
• Starvation periods should be kept as short as possible, as prolonged deprivation of serum and/or growth factors can:
  • Induce cell stress
  • Trigger apoptosis
  • Compromise experimental outcomes

Careful optimization of duration and conditions is therefore essential.

PromoCell Human Aortic Adventitial Fibroblasts (HAoAF, C‑12380) are isolated from the adventitia, the outermost layer of the human aorta. 
The cells are characterized as fibroblasts by the expression of the fibroblast‑specific marker CD90, confirming their stromal fibroblast identity.