Classical Media vs Specialty Media

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For decades, researchers have been culturing cells to study normal and diseased biological processes. Many of these studies use immortalized cell lines which proliferate indefinitely in culture. Immortalized cells thrive in classical media formulated with the minimum requirements for cell growth, including salts, vitamins, amino acids and an energy source. Though useful for some studies, many scientists question how closely immortalized cells resemble primary cells isolated from living tissue. As a result, scientists are shifting to utilizing primary cells for their research as primary cells are more representative of in vivo conditions.

Primary cells are cultured directly from tissue, express protein markers specific to their cell type, and have a limited ability to proliferate. For many primary cells, classical media is not sufficient to support their growth in vitro and consequently require specialized media. Specialty media contains similar classical media elements, but with additional proteins, vitamins, hormones and growth factors tailored to the needs of each specific cell type. Primary cells not only grow better in specialty media, but often retain the phenotypic markers of their host tissue.

ScienCell Research Laboratories is proud to offer a wide selection of specialty media formulated qualitatively and quantitatively to promote growth of over a hundred primary cell types. We are constantly developing new specialty media to support our growing list of primary cells, so check back often to explore our new products.

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