Melanocyte

CELLnTEC's Melanocyte Medium (CnT-40) is carefully formulated to deliver excellent isolation, selectivity, and rapid proliferation of primary human melanocytes. Melanocytes grown in CnT-40 demonstrate a proliferative phenotype, typically with 2 or 3 dendrites per cell.

Moderate melanin expression is observed in the proliferative melanocytes growing in CnT-40. However, when more complete differentiation and melanogenesis is required, the melanocyte differentiation medium (CnT-PR-MD) is recommended.

The Prime MD Melanocyte Differentiation medium (CnT-PR-MD) is produced only for differentiation and delivers 2.5x more melanin and increased dendricity of primary human melanocytes.

CnT-PR-MD medium is specifically tailored to create the ideal environment for melanocyte differentiation. In this way it differs from standard melanocyte media, which contain a mixture of signals and aim to provide both proliferation and melanin expression in parallel.

Melanocytes growing in CnT-PR-MD medium are less proliferative, and as a result display a much more in vivo-like phenotype.

Cells growing in a medium designed for rapid proliferation or complete differentiation are receiving a strong set of signals from the culture medium. These strong signals tend to reduce the responsiveness of cells to the external stimuli applied during experimentation.

To improve assay responsiveness, CELLnTEC have developed a melanocyte homeostasis medium known as CnT-Prime MH, Melanocyte Homeostasis Medium (CnT-PR-MH) in which cells demonstrate higher responsiveness to assay treatments, such as tyrosinase inhibitors for example.

The CnT-PR-MH medium is designed for maintenance of melanocytes in a homeostatic state with only minimal growth factor stimuli, sufficient to maintain their function for up to a week in culture.

To successfully co-culture two cell types together requires that both the cell types retain their functionality, whilst in parallel keeping in a good proliferative balance. CELLnTEC has developed a new medium for keratinocyte-melanocyte co-culture (CnT-PR-KM).

This medium is specifically designed to maintained a balanced co-culture of primary human keratinocytes and melanocytes for a week in culture. It is currently being evaluated by researchers in academia and industry.

HEM (Human Epidermal Melanocytes) primary human melanocytes isolated in CnT-40 provide strong proliferation over an extended period. HEM is available from both adult and juvenile tissue. When coupled with CnT-40, they will retain a proliferative phenotype, and moderate dendricity.

• Adult Melanocytes (HEMas)
• Juvenile Melanocytes (HEMns)