The BD BioCoat Angiogenesis System combines the properties of two of the Bedford, Mass.-based company's technologies: the BD Falcon™ HTS FluoroBlok™ and the BD Matrigel™ Matrix. The FluoroBlok inserts contain a proprietary polyethylene terephthalate membrane, with 3.0-µm pores, which is impregnated with dyes that absorb visible light from 490-700 nm with greater than 99 percent efficiency.
The Matrigel Matrix is a reconstituted basement membrane isolated from the EHS mouse sarcoma. Rich in extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and enhancement factors, the matrix is composed of laminin, Collagen IV, enactin, and heparan sulfate proteoglycan. These ECM components both structurally and chemically support endothelial cell invasion. The FluoroBlok membrane is coated with a uniform layer of Matrigel Matrix that occludes the membrane's pores. This coating functions as a barrier analogous to the in vivo extracellular basement membrane, allowing invasive endothelial cells to penetrate the membrane while noninvasive cells are excluded.
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