Commercial 3D matrices

Credit: Trevigen" /> Credit: Trevigen Reconstituted basement membrane extract (BME) Who: BD (Matrigel), Trevigen (Cultrex). Uses and Perks: Supports the growth and differentiation of cells and tissues. Recapitulates the morphology and viscoelasticity of the ECM. Can be remodeled by cells Drawbacks: Expensive, composition is variable.

Written byJosh P. Roberts

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Who: BD (Matrigel), Trevigen (Cultrex).

Uses and Perks: Supports the growth and differentiation of cells and tissues. Recapitulates the morphology and viscoelasticity of the ECM. Can be remodeled by cells

Drawbacks: Expensive, composition is variable.

How much: About $200 for 10 ml. (Brugge uses 40 ml per well of an 8 well chamber slide.)

Who: Millipore, BD, Sigma, and other suppliers.

Uses and Perks: Frequently used to study migration and invasion. Can be remodeled by cells. Often used in combination with each other, or "spiked" into other matrices.

Drawbacks: Not always interchangeable. For example, even among collagen 1, glycosylation (and solubility) varies by source. Properties differ between native and denatured proteins.

How much: About $130 for 100 mg of rat tail-derived collagen 1.

Who: BD (PuraMatrix Peptide Hydrogel), Glycosan (Extracel, HyLink)

Uses and Perks: Fully characterized alternatives to BME. Also used as a scaffold for tissue growth and repair. Often ...

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