Over the past few years, researchers from Dartmouth have utilized our GFP-expressing U87 MG cells (cat. TR01-GFP) in surgical imaging research. They have been using the cells to evaluate various contrast agents for fluorescent-guided surgery by implanting our cells in mouse models. Last week, they published another study with fascinating results.

In their initial paper, released last year, the researchers identified TMR-PEG1k as the preferred contrast agent when compared with others. Then, earlier this year, the same group released a study highlighting the need for standardized methods to study contrast agents.

Image: Neuromics GFP Expressing U87 MG Cells were incubated with two potential contrast agents in surgical research.

In this week’s research, the investigators developed a near-infrared version of TMR-PEG1k to address some of the agent's shortcomings. Being in the visible regime, TMR-PEG1k is excellent for superficial tissue, but doesn’t allow for subsurface penetration, unlike a near-infrared agent. Therefore, the researchers developed a cyanine 7 version of the agent as an alternative.

As part of our commitment to supporting innovative research, Neuromics continually seeks to introduce new human cell types that meet the needs of researchers. Earlier this month, we introduced several new cell types for studying diabetes and obesity. Now, we've turned our attention back to our selection of human iPSC-related cells, with the addition of three cell types. As a reminder, we offer a wide range of iPSC-derived neural cell types (check them out).

iPSC-derived models are transforming neuroscience research - especially for diseases like ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. Models from diseased donors open the door for new assays and drug discovery approaches.

Image: Neuromics Human iPSC - Sensory Neurons (cat. IPS006) in culture.

Here are the new cell types:

• Human iPSC (cat. IPS013): a versatile cell line for custom differentiation or disease modeling.
• Human iPSC - Motor Neurons (ALS Patient, Sporadic) (cat. IPS014): derived from a patient with sporadic ALS, providing a physiologically relevant model for studying disease mechanisms
• Human iPSC - Motor Neurons (TDP-43 M337V, Homozygous) (cat. IPS015): a genetic model capturing a well-characterized ALS-linked mutation in TARDBP.

If you're using human cell-based assays to research neurodegenerative diseases, your work demands consistent and reliable human neural cells. Neuromics has you covered, with an impressive history of customers using our human cells to study neurodegenerative diseases.

Some examples from the past few years:

• Our primary human neurons (cat. HNC001) linked long COVID to Alzheimer's disease (AD) (check it out).
• The mechanisms connecting periodontitis and AD were explored with our 3D human blood-brain barrier model (cat. 3D45002) (learn more).
• Researchers explored how Semaphorin 4D expression leads to neurodegenerative diseases in our human brain astrocytes (cat. HMP202) (read more).

Image: Neuromics Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (cat. HEC02) stained with CD146.

Then, just last week, scientists from Imperial College in London used our primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) (cat. HEC02) in an AD study.

Neuromics is pleased to announce the release of five new human cell types for research in diabetes and obesity. This introduction builds on an existing inventory of human cells, specifically endothelial cells, which have a long history of being utilized to study diabetes and obesity (learn more).

Our new selection offers unique opportunities for disease-specific models, as we've chosen Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs), fibroblasts, and hepatic stellate cells isolated from diseased donors. The cells are suited for any researcher studying type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, obesity, or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Image: Formation of tube networks in Neuromics HRMECs in normal glucose (NG) and high glucose (HG) conditions.

Here are the new cell types:

• ADSCs - Obesity Donor (cat. ADSC001)
• ADSCs - Type 1 Diabetes Donor (cat. ADSC002)
• ADSCs - Type 2 Diabetes Donor (cat. ADSC003)
• Dermal Fibroblasts - Type 1 Diabetes Donor (cat. HDF002)
• Hepatic Stellate Cells - NASH Donor (cat. HHSC001)

With colorectal cancer (CRC) being one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide, understanding chemotherapy resistance in the CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) is an important goal. As we’ve seen in many other publications using our human cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), CAFs play a huge role in the TME.

Our CAFs have been used in a handful of studies in 2D and 3D TME models, where they demonstrate their ability to complicate treatment objectives. Overall, the mechanisms by which CAFs contribute to chemotherapy resistance in the TME are poorly understood. 

Image: DKK1 expression in Neuromics colorectal CAFs when subjected to chemotherapeutic agents.

Researchers from the University of Kentucky utilized our colorectal CAFs (cat. CAF115) in a new paper examining these mechanisms. In their cell models, they found that CAFs secrete DKK1, a protein associated with tumor growth and metastasis, when subjected to chemotherapy treatments for CRC. Their results identified CAF-secreted DKK1 as a major player in resistance to treatment. Furthermore, they recommend looking into treatments that target DKK1 to counteract chemotherapy resistance.

You can check out the full paper here.

When researchers employ our human primary cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in their tumor microenvironment models, they consistently find stark differences between 2D and 3D. Through 3D co-culture, investigators recognize that their models mirror in vivo tumors more closely than in 2D.

This makes our CAFs invaluable, enabling drug discovery research that better mimics the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, over the last few years, we've seen the observation across many of our CAF types, including pancreatic, colorectal, breast, and now, ovarian.

Image: Human ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3 and OVACR8) along with Neuromics ovarian CAFs (cat. CAF112) in 2D and 3D ovarian cancer models.

There is a well choreographed dance between astrocytes, glia. microglia and neurons in the brain. This dance in is highly compartmentalized among different brain cell types to efficiently support various energy-demanding processes. 

Astrocytes play a special role. They regulate synaptic transmission fine tuning metabolism and energy management. Another role is supply metabolites such as lactate, serine, and glutamine to support neuronal activity and supply energy. 

Here, Neuroscientists, published in "Nature Communications." uncover the role of an endolysosomal transmembrane protein in mediating catabolic processes in astrocytes. Researchers used Neuromics' Primary Human Brain Astrocytes for this study.

Top Image: Graphical representation of study conclusions.

Autophagic flux may work in tandem with reduced LD catabolism to limit the mobilization of toxic lipid species that cause inflammatory cascades in the brain. The neuron-astrocyte. Better understanding flux could be of value in new research approaches for understanding the roots of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neuromics continues to expand our selection of immortalized human cells. This week, we've added eight new types of immortalized primary cells. You can passage these immortalized cells over 20 times, giving you more bank for your buck.

Top image: Neuromics primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (cat. HEC01).

These newly released cells are fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Fibroblasts are one of the most widely used types of primary cells, as they are easy to culture and reprogram. Likewise, endothelial cells offer a great model to study vascular biology, angiogenesis, and inflammation.

Read more to check out the new cells.

Just how important is the tumor microenvironment (TME) in cancer research? As a supplier of primary human cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), we’re exposed to plenty of studies looking into their role. One big theme: it’s becoming ever clearer that cancer treatments must take CAFs and their role in the TME into account.

Image: 3D organotypic colorectal tumor model surrounded by CAFs (vimentin, green) (a). Organoids are larger and more plentiful when CAFs are incorporated than without CAFs (b & c).

In a newly released paper, a team of researchers from the University of Akron builds 3D organoids with patient-derived colorectal tumor samples to study prospective cancer treatments. They compare how organoids develop, prosper, and react to treatments when they are with and without colorectal tumor CAFs (cat. CAF115) provided by Neuromics.

Late in 2024, Dartmouth researchers published a paper using our GFP-expressing human glioblastoma cells (U87 MG) (cat. TR01-GFP) in fluorescent-guided surgery research. The scientists cultured Neuromics GFP-expressing U87 MG cells and then inserted them into a mouse model. After testing several fluorescent agents, they found one, tetramethylrhodamine conjugated to a small polyethylene glycol chain (TMR-PEG1k), performed the best (learn more here).

Well, the same researchers are back again, releasing more fluorescent imaging research utilizing our GFP-expressing U87 MG cells. Like in the previous study, the researchers inserted our cells into a mouse model and compared the results to TMR-PEG1k. However, this time, the focus our their study was different.

Image: An illustration of Neuromics’ GFP expressing human glioblastoma cells (U87 MG) compared to the contrast agent TMR-PEG1k in mice.

Neuromics is proud to introduce our newest pioneering research tools - human Cas9 expressing primary cells and GPCR expressing cell lines. With these modifications, the cells are valuable and versatile options for drug discovery, studying disease mechanisms, and countless other applications.

Our Cas9 expressing human primary cells have been genetically modified to express the Cas9 protein in a stable manner. Engineered to continuously produce and maintain the expression of the Cas9 protein, they can be used for precise and consistent CRISPR-based genome editing.

Image: Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) in culture.

We are starting by offering six types of Cas9 expressing primary cells, including endothelial cells and fibroblasts. However, we will add dozens more in the future. Please contact us if there are any other types you need.

G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are at the forefront of modern drug discovery research, playing a vital role in various signal transduction pathways. We are starting by offering one of the most studied and used cell lines, GPCR expressing CHO-K1 cells.

Our primary human endothelial cells have a distinguished resume of enabling research across a wide spectrum of applications. Just a few months ago, we highlighted the use of our human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) (cat. HEC02) in an aging study that looked at cell senescence. However, if there is one area where our endothelial cells stand out, it's in diabetes research.

These cells have been utilized on several occasions to study and learn about how endothelial cells react to different glucose environments. Our endothelial cells were part of a study that proposed a drug to treat diabetic retinopathy. You can review all the ways our endothelial cells are being used here.

Image: Endothelial cells from different vascular beds display heterogeneous mitochondrial network morphology.

Then, just this past week, researchers at the University of Glasgow published a paper using our HBMECs to study diabetes.

Neuromics has a large selection of human cells for cancer research. These cells have been used in impactful and meaningful studies by customers - check all the studies out here. At the center of the selection are our cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Collaborating investigators from Takeda, BioTuring, and BMS utilized our Pancreatic CAFs (cat. CAF118) and CAF Growth Media (cat. CAFM03) in a study released earlier this month.

It is widely accepted that CAFs play a vital role in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and are a frequent target for therapeutics. However, despite successful results in 2D culture, many drug candidates struggle when tested in clinical trials.

Image: Gene expression profile of Neuromics Pancreatic CAFs and BxPC3 cells in 2D and 3D monocultures and cocultures. Different culture conditions lead to changing expression profiles.

In the publication, the investigators examined various culture conditions for CAFs, including 2D and 3D monocultures and cocultures. They found that the expression profile and pro-proliferative effects of CAFs vary substantially depending on the culture condition.

The CAFs show their full potential in the TME when cultured in 3D tumor models. The results suggest that drug discovery research should implement 3D models to get a better-predicted outcome when evaluating drug candidates than 2D culture. Read the full study here.

Our human endothelial cells have always been a particularly versatile tool for researchers. They have been used by neuroscientists to study the blood-brain barrier, diabetes researchers to study diabetic retinopathy, cancer researchers to study tumors, and much more. This week, another study was published using one of our many (see for yourself) types of endothelial cells. You can explore all publications using our endothelial cells here.

Image: A comparison of young and senescent HBMECs looking at DNA damage by staining with DAPI (top), numbers of actin stress fibers (middle), and CD31 expression (bottom)

Our human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) (cat. HEC02) were used by scientists at the University of Nottingham in a paper published earlier this week. In the study, the investigators grew our HBMECs until they became senescent with implications in vascular aging and other age-related diseases. They tested our cells to see if they could find any reliable biomarkers for vascular aging by looking at the senescent cells. They noted morphological and functional changes in the HBMECs as the passage number increased. Learn more here.

In the past couple of weeks, our blog has shared studies using Neuromics GFP-expressing cells and cell lines in exciting research. Now, we are happy to highlight another new publication that merges the two—a GFP-expressing cell line. Last month, researchers at Dartmouth published a paper using our GFP-expressing human glioblastoma cells (U87 MG) (cat. TR01-GFP) in fluorescent-guided surgery research. 

Contrast imaging has become a frequently used tool in surgical resection so that surgeons can remove all tumor tissue when operating on patients. This method has especially become prevalent in glioma removal. While many methods for fluorescent-guidance surgery exist, the investigators wanted to look for one that accurately marks tumors shortly after administration and is compatible with current imaging capabilities.

Image: Imaging of mice inoculated with GFP expressing U87 MG cells after 40 and 90 minutes. A comparison with GFP shows how candidate fluorescent agents perform.

Our blog has been inundated in the past couple of months with posts highlighting how researchers have used our human primary cells. However, it is not just primary cells. Neuromics also offers an impressive selection of human cell lines, including cancer cells, RFP- and GFP-expressing cells, and more. Recently, a few publications were released that utilized cell lines purchased from Neuromics.

Weill Cornell Medical College investigators utilized SF-295 cells (cat. SF001), a human glioblastoma cell line, supplied by Neuromics in their cancer research. The scientists studied the evolution of genomic signatures in several tumor samples from urothelial cancer patients. The findings better define some of the mechanisms behind urothelial cancer evolution and give insights into therapeutic possibilities. Check out the paper here.

Image: DU 145 cells were incubated with diluted primary antibodies KRT18 and KRT19, then with fluorescent secondary antibodies (anti-mouse Cy2 and anti-rabbit Cy3) and mounted using iBright medium (SF40000).

Egyptian researchers published a study using WI-38 cells (cat. WI001), a human lung fibroblast cell line purchased from Neuromics, in diabetes research. They found that bee venom-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were a safe and effective treatment against diabetes in an in vivo rat model. According to the scientists, bee venom impacts pancreatic tissue through its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Read it here.

Another month, another new publication from customers using our GFP-expressing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (GFP-HUVECs) (cat. GF01). In September, we highlighted how the use of egg whites in tissue engineering was investigated by culturing our GFP-HUVECs (learn more here). Less than a month later, scientists at OHSU published a study that utilized our GFP-HUVECs in their research.

Image: Left: GFP-HUVECs in culture under no stretching force. Right: GFP-HUVECs in culture after 8 hours of cyclic stretch. The alignment of the cells is perpendicular to the axis of stretch.

The paper describes the assembly of a cell-stretch device. Since cells in the body are subjected to mechanical forces that can alter their morphology, gene expression, and differentiation, assays in cell culture that mimic these conditions are expected to be coveted. After explaining the components and construction of the device, the investigations utilized our GFP-HUVECs to validate their device. After subjecting the GFP-HUVCEs to cyclic stretching with their device, they observed a preferential alignment of the cells. You can read the complete study here.

Neuromics has an impressive selection of human cells, most of which are unaltered primary cells. However, we also offer several GFP- and RFP-expressing cell types and lines. These cells enable new opportunities, applications, and ways to present results. We want to feature a publication released earlier this year that utilized our GFP-expressing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (GFP-HUVECs) (cat. GF01).

Image: GFP-HUVECs stained with VE-Cadherin and DAPI on an egg white based hydrogel.

Researchers at UCLA tested the feasibility of using egg white (EW) for tissue engineering in 3D bioprinting. EW has a history of being used as a substitute for other 3D culturing strategies such as gelatin, collagen, and Matrigel. The investigators employed our GFP-HUVECs to test whether an EW-based hydrogel would induce endothelialization in culture. 

Last week, we shared some exciting new research using our immortalized CAFs. It didn't take long for us to come across another publication with some noteworthy findings. Researchers at Augusta University published a study earlier this year utilizing our 3D Human Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Model (cat. 3D45002) in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) research. 

In recent years, periodontitis (PD) has been linked to AD, however, the mechanism is not understood. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), a bacteria that causes PD, has been found in post-mortem brain samples of AD patients. The investigators tested to see whether PD-induced exosomes can cross the BBB.

Image: TEER readings in Neuromics BBB model at different time points when blood side is exposed to PD exosomes (PD EXO) and health exosomes (Con EXO). Exposure to PD EXO decreases TEER readings.

With the help of our model, the scientists found that not only do PD-induced exosomes cross the BBB, but they also compromise its integrity. TEER readings and expression of tight-junction proteins both decrease after exposure to the exosomes. These findings give some insight into how PD may contribute to the development of AD. Read the full study here.

Last month, we highlighted the release of six human iPSC-derived brain cells and two immortalized cancer associated fibroblast (CAF) types in our blog. Believe it or not, the cell releases keep coming, as we've got six more iPSC-derived cell types to offer.

• Human iPSC - Neural Stem Cells (SOD1 mutant, A4V, HOM) (cat. IPS010)
• Human Neuron Precursor Cells (cat. HNPC001)
• RFP Expressing Human Neuron Precursor Cells (cat. HNPC001-RFP)
• Human iPSC - RFP Expressing Dopaminergic Neurons (cat. IPS004-RFP)
• Human iPSC - Astrocytes (Parkinson’s Disease) (cat. IPS011)
• Human iPSC - Astrocytes (PSEN2 mutant, N141I, HET) (cat. IPS012)

Image: Neuromics RFP Expressing Human Neuron Precursor Cells (HNPC001-RFP) in culture.

Our collection of iPSC cells enables a broad spectrum of neuroscience research. We have an extensive selection of iPSC-derived neuron types, including GABAergic, cortical, dopaminergic, glutamatergic, motor, and sensory. Furthermore, we have cells with mutations to study Parkinson's disease, ALS, and Alzheimer's.

Neuromics is excited to announce the release of two more immortalized cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) types. Our primary CAFs are some of our top-selling cell types, so we continue introducing immortalized versions to complement the primary cells. 

• Immortalized Human Ovarian CAFs (cat. CAF112-IM)
• Immortalized Human Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma CAFs (cat. CA117S-IM)

We immortalize our primary CAFs by injecting hTert-lentiviral particles under specially formulated media. A Puromycin-resistant gene is expressed under the RSV promoter, which allows us to select the transduced cells. While normal CAFs can be passaged 3-5 times, immortalized CAFs can be passaged >10 times.

Image: Immortalized Lung Adenocarcinoma CAFs in culture. Grown using CAF Growth Media (cat. CAFM03)

Earlier this year, Neuromics released our first set of iPSC-derived brain cells. In our blog post at the time, we suggested that more iPSC-derived cells would be released. That day is upon us, as we've just released another six iPSC-derived cell types.

• Human iPSC - Dopaminergic Neurons (cat. IPS004)
• Human iPSC - Cortical GABAergic Neurons (cat. IPS005)
• Human iPSC - Sensory Neurons (cat. IPS006)
• Human iPSC - GFP Glutamatergic Neurons (cat. IPS007)
• Human iPSC - ALS Neural Stem Cells (cat. IPS008)
• Human iPSC - Neural Stem Cells (cat. IPS009)

We're not stopping here either, as more cells will be released in the coming weeks.

Image: Neuromics Human iPSC Cortical GABAergic Neurons (cat. IPS005) in culture.

All are derived from integration-free iPSC lines under a fully defined proprietary neural induction condition. The source of the cells are primary fibroblasts obtained from healthy donors.

At the front and center of our human cell & tissue offerings are our primary brain & CNS cell types. Over the years, these cells have contributed to impactful studies. Earlier this week, another publication was released reminding us again of their value to researchers.

Investigators at the University of Nottingham used our Human Brain Pericytes (cat. HMP104), Astrocytes (cat. HMP202), and Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HBMECs) (cat. HEC02) to study the effects of hyperglycemia on the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The scientists built an in vitro BBB model by co-culturing the three cell types.

Image: Neuromics HBMECs showing tubule formation in normoglycemic conditions. The investigators found that the angiogenic capacity and morphology of the HBMECs were not altered by various glucose levels.

They found disruptions to the integrity of the BBB after exposure to high glucose conditions after 48 and 72 hours as compared to the normoglycemia control. The findings have implications for furthering our understanding of the link between diabetes and strokes. You can read the full study here.

Our Human Retinal Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HRMECs) (cat. HEC09) have a history of performing for researchers studying diabetic retinopathy. In the past, we've seen the cells used to investigate the viability of a drug as a treatment in one study and the role of a long non-coding RNA in another paper. Now, the cells are back again, proving their consistency and reliability in a publication released this month.

Image: Formation of tube networks in Neuromics HRMECs in normal glucose (NG) and high glucose (HG) conditions.

Investigators at Shandong University in China subjected our HRMECs to high glucose (HG) conditions to create an in vitro diabetic retinopathy model. They wanted to study the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in regulating HG-induced apoptosis in the HRMECs. Finding that hsa_circ_0000880 was upregulated in the cells and that apoptosis decreased in the hsa_circ_0000880 knockout model, the researchers suggest it could be a future therapeutic target for diabetic retinopathy. You can read the full study here.

Last year, we focused on adding new types and versions of Primary Human Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs). With the cells playing a growing role in understanding the tumor microenvironment, it was a no-brainer to expand our offerings. Ultimately, we now have CAFs from eleven tumor types and four immortalized versions.

Image: Colorectal tumor CAFs and DLD-1 spheroids stained with F-Actin (red), cell nucleus (blue), and E-Cadherin (green).

With the products released and circulating, it is no surprise to see citations starting to highlight them in new research. That was the case for our Colorectal Tumor CAFs (cat. CAF115), which featured in a publication released in January.

At Neuromics, we are always looking for ways to expand our human cell offerings with tools specifically requested by customers. This month, we've done just that. Complementing our already expansive selection of research proven human central nervous system (CNS) primary cells, we have just introduced three induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived CNS lines:

• Human iPSC - Astrocytes (cat. IPS001)
• Human iPSC - Cortical Neurons (cat. IPS002)
• Human iPSC - Motor Neurons (cat. IPS003)

All three iPSC products are derived from integration-free iPSC lines under a fully defined proprietary neural induction condition. The source of the cells are primary fibroblasts, obtained from healthy donors.

We are always excited to showcase innovative publications utilizing our reagents. We take immense pride in providing researchers and professionals with reliable and consistent products that unlock new possibilities in their fields. Today, we delve into another new study using some of of our primary human brain cells.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham have released two new publications using our primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (cat. HEC02), brain pericytes (cat. HMP104), and brain astrocytes (cat. HMP202) to build an in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model. Last week, we highlighted the first publication, where the impact of exposure to Substance P (SP) on the BBB was evaluated. You can check out the blog post to learn more.

Image: Astrocytes stained with S100 beta.

Then, to our pleasant surprise, we saw the researchers cited our cells in another BBB related publication. This time, the investigators looked into some of the mechanisms behind neuroinflammation seen in ischaemic stroke and other disorders. They found that inhibition of Rho kinase neutralized the disruptive effects of TNF-α on BBB integrity. You can read the full study here.

Last month, we highlighted the use of our human brain microvascular pericytes (cat. HMP104) and human brain astrocytres (cat. HMP202) in long COVID research (learn more). It didn't take long for the same cells to pop up in another new publication. This time, it's in blood-brain barrier (BBB) research.

Image: HBMECs stained with Claudin-5.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham used our primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (cat. HEC02), brain pericytes, and brain astrocytes to build an in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model. They wanted to evaluate the impact of exposure to Substance P (SP) on the BBB, finding that “SP promoted a reversible decline” in their model. The findings have implications in neurological disease research among other areas. You can explore the full publication here.

Since the pandemic started, we've seen our reagents used to make important discoveries and observations about the virus. Back in 2021, scientists worked with our Human Small Intestine Endothelial Cells (cat. HEC15) to compare the plasma of healthy patients to those with COVID-19 (learn more). Then, in 2022, researchers infected our Primary Human Neurons (cat. HNC001) with COVID-19 in a publication. They observed the creation of an Alzheimer's-like neuropathology in the formerly healthy neurons (read it here).

Image: Human brain microvascular pericytes stained with VWF/Factor VIII.

Now, preliminary research has just been released looking at the interaction between COVID-19 and HIV. In the citation, the investigators from UNMC and the Karolinska Institutet employed our Human Brain Astrocytes (cat. HMP202) and Human Brain Microvascular Pericytes (cat. HMP104).

Since their introduction, our Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HBMECs) (cat. HEC02) have been one of our most popular cell types. In the past two years alone, they've been utilized in published glioblastoma, cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM), diabetes, and COVID-19 research. We encourage you to check out all publications using these cells here.

Image: HBMECs stained with Claudin-5

And now, this past month, our HBMECs were cited in newly published hypertension research. Researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine were investigating miR-4432, a small nucleic acid, as an inhibitor to fibroblast growth factor binding protein 1 in HBMECs. They found that miR-4432 reduces endothelial oxidative stress, which is a key feature of hypertension. They suggest miR-4432 to be further studied to better understand its role in endothelial dysfunction. Read the full publication here.

Nothing validates the quality and reliability of a product like a customer citation referencing its use. For this reason, Neuromics loves to highlight the discoveries made with our products, especially when it is the first time a reagent is cited.

The club of human primary cells with published results has become quite large, with many of our endothelial cells, cells for neuroscience research, and cancer cells already included (see for yourself). And last month, our Immortalized Human Brain Microglia Cells (cat. HBMCs001) finally joined the group of human cells with proven results.

Image: Immortalized Human Microglia in culture. Grown using Alpha-glia Expansion Medium (cat. AGEM-001).

Investigators from Wichita State University used our human microglia, along with our Alpha-Glia Expansion Medium (cat. AGME-001), in spinal cord injury research. The scientists assessed the gene expression of the microglia cultured on soy protein-collagen hybrid scaffolds vs. collagen scaffolds. We encourage you to check out the full publication here to learn more.

Neuromics has just released seven new human cancer associated fibroblast (CAF) cell types as we continue to grow our human primary cell offerings. As many of you know, CAFs have been a staple of our human cells & tissue portfolio for a number of years, and we couldn't be more excited to expand the selection to include fibroblasts isolated from many tumor types.

Image: Lung squamous cell carcinoma CAFs (cat. CAF117s) in culture. Grown using CAF Growth Media (cat. CAFM03)

As research continues to demonstrate, CAFs are closely associated with primary tumor cells and participate in the neoplastic process. There is a back and forth communication between tumor cells and CAFs, making CAFs a promising target for drug discovery. Additionally, comprehending the role of CAFs is critical to fully understand tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis.

Neuromics is pleased to introduce many of the top human prostate cancer cell lines to our already expansive selection of cell offerings. To complement the DU 145 cells we added earlier this year, Neuromics is now offering VcaP, LNCaP, and PC-3 cells to complete our catalog of human prostate cancer cell lines. 

With these four offerings, Neuromics now has the ability to offer researchers all four of the main human cell lines used in prostate cancer therapeutics research. Additionally, with the four cell lines all having slight differences in their characteristics, it makes them all useful tools for researchers.

Image: VcaP cells in culture.

VCaP cells are known for their high androgen receptor and PSA expression. Unlike most other prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP cells are highly sensitive to androgens and have a low tumorigenicity. Meanwhile, PC-3 cells are noted for their high metastatic potential along with their insensitivity to androgens and fibroblast growth factors. Lastly, DU 145 cells are not hormone-sensitive and do not express PSA.

Read more to check out the cells...

Earlier this year, we highlighted when our human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) (cat. no. HEC02) were published in COVID-19 research. Guess what??? They're back! This time in hypertension and diabetes research released earlier this month.

A collection of researchers from across Italy and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine published their findings a few weeks ago with the help of our HBMECs. Combining in vitro experiments using our cells with cognitive tests of hypertensive patients, these investigators demonstrated that hyperglycemia aggravates cognitive impairment. They also found that patients treated with metformin, a diabetic drug, performed better on the cognitive test than patients treated with insulin.

Image: HBMECs stained with Claudin-5.

Read more to check out the full publication...

Neuromics constantly looks for ways to expand our selection of human cells so that researchers get what they need. We are excited to announce that we now are offering DU 145 cells (cat no. DU001), a human prostate cancer cell line. Better yet, we are offering them for only $479 through the end of the month!

DU 145 cells are one of the pillar prostate cancer cell lines used in therapeutics research. These cells were derived from a prostate carcinoma metastatic site in the brain of a 69 year old Caucasian male. DU 145 are not hormone-sensitive and do not express prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

Even though we just got access to these cells, we've already generated some great data (shown in the image to the right and linked here) demonstrating that these cells express KRT18 and KRT19, two markers of prostate cancer.

Image: DU 145 cells were incubated with diluted primary antibodies KRT18 and KRT19, then with fluorescent secondary antibodies (anti-mouse Cy2 and anti-rabbit Cy3) and mounted using iBright medium (SF40000).

Read more to explore the cells...

Whether it is a publication from a customer or through generated data, Neuromics is always looking to validate our reagents so that researchers can truly trust them. We've just received data (read here) to further demonstrate the trustworthiness of our human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) (cat.no. HEC09).

When culturing cells, consistency is necessary. It is impossible for researchers to rely on reagents that don't perform similarly when using an identical protocol.

To demonstrate the consistency of our HRMECs, we plated HRMECs in an 8-well chamber slide (a-h). The cells were stained with diluted primary antibodies CD31 (mouse anti-human BBA7 from R&D, 12 ug/ml) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) (rabbit anti-human from Abcam ab6994, 1:400). Both CD31 and vWF are used as markers of endothelial cells.

The results, shown in the images to the right (a-d in top image, e-h in bottom image), display that our endothelial cells are consistent in their expression of CD31 (green) and vWF (red). Overlap of expression of CD31 and vWF can be seen in the yellow color (expression of both green and red). While there is some variation in the number of cells co-expressing both CD31 and wWF, it falls within the expected range of statistical error.

Read more to view images of wells e-h...

With COVID-19 affecting the globe for well over a year at this point, many researchers have shifted their focus to the virus. While there are many COVID-19 related questions still needing answers, it is incredible what the scientific community has achieved in such a short period of time.

Our reagents have been used by customers in a handful of publications that have helped us learn more about the virus. We've just added a new page to our website to compile all these publications. Visit it here.

Image: Detected auto Ig levels in specific cell types, including our human small intestine endothelial cells.

Included is a publication from researchers at Emory University comparing the plasma of COVID-19 patients to healthy patients to study the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19. In this research, they used our Human Small Intestine Endothelial Cells (cat.# HEC15). Check out this blog post to learn more.

A second publication utilizes our Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (cat.# HEC02) to find a microRNA capable of targeting Neuropilin-1, a transmembrane glycoprotein that plays a role in the cellular entry of the SARs-CoV-2 virus. Learn more.

As always, there are exciting things happening behind the scenes at Neuromics. This week, we added three cell lines of human fibroblasts. In addition to the new cells, we also received a publication with researchers using human cells from Neuromics.

Like I said, we are now offering three human fibroblast cell lines. They are HEL 299 cells (cat.no. HEL001), MRC-5 cells (cat.no. MRC001), and WI-38 cells (cat.no. WI001). All three are immortalized cell lines derived from fetal lung tissue in the 1960s. These cell lines are known for their use in vaccine research and production, but have many other applications.

Image: Neuromics human brain microvascular pericytes stained with VWF/Factor VIII (dilution 1:100). Secondary antibody conjugated to Alexa 594 (red) and counterstained with DAPI (blue). Cells were mounted using iBrite mounting media.

Moving on to the new publication, last month, researchers from the University of Copenhagen published research on glioblastoma surgery using our human brain astrocytes (cat.no. HMP202) and human brain microvascular pericytes (cat.no. HMP104).

Read more to learn more about the publication...

Recent research shows the SARS-CoV2 virus penetrates the blood-brain barrier (BBB), causing neurological damage. Patients have reported both short-term and long-term neurological issues stemming from the virus.

SARS-CoV2 enters the central nervous system (CNS) by binding to the ACE-2 receptors on human brain endothelial cells (HBECs) and human astrocytes (HAs) that form the BBB. After infecting HBECs and HAs, the virus alters the tight junctions of the BBB to pass through and infect microglia of the CNS (Reynolds et al. 2021).

Neuromics 3D human blood-brain barrier model (cat. no. 3D45002) is the perfect tool for researchers studying the virus' impact on the brain, as we continue to generate data demonstrating that our model truly mimics the properties of the BBB. Our model is developed to be highly reproducible, utilizing co-cultures of our human brain microvascular endothelial cells (cat. no. HEC02), human brain astrocytes (cat. no. HMP202), and human brain microvascular pericytes (cat. no. HMP104) layered in inserts to form the same tight junctions present in the BBB.

Image: ACE-2 staining (red) and DAPI nuclear counterstain (blue) of the endothelial cells (HEC02) on the bottom of the inserts. Images collected on a microscope.

Read more to learn about the new data...

To better equip researchers, Neuromics continuously strives to expand our portfolio of human cells and tissue. This past week, we've done just that, adding two new lines of human brain cancer cells.

The first new cells are LN-319 cells, a line of tumorigenic human brain epithelial cells. LN-319 cells are derived from a left malignant glioma of a 69 year old Caucasian male with anaplastic astrocytoma grade III.

The second line of cells is SF-295 cells. These cells are derived from the tumor of a 67 year-old female glioblastoma patient.

Image: Fluorescence images of colorectal tumor CAFs (Cat.# CAF115) cultured in CoAl hydrogels counterstained with live (green) / dead (red) dyes (top, scale bar=200 µm) and nucleus (blue) / F-actin (red) (bottom, scale bar=20 µm). Courtesy of Huan Cao, et al., Nanyang Technological University

Learn more about these cells...

Neuromics has an impressive selection of products that have been used in meaningful cancer research. Some of our most popular and research proven products for cancer research are our Cancer Related Fibroblasts (CAFs). Just last week, researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore published cancer research using our Human Colorectal Tumor Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (Cat.# CAF115).

CAFs play a major role in the tumor microenvironment, with implications in tumor growth and metastasis. While research has shown that CAFs can increase the aggressiveness of malignant tumors, other research has concluded that CAFs can suppress cancer progression. These researchers wanted to understand more about the phenotypic processes creating various CAF subsets that either encourage or suppress cancer progression.

Image: Fluorescence images of CAFs cultured in CoAl hydrogels counterstained with live (green) / dead (red) dyes (top, scale bar=200 µm) and nucleus (blue) / F-actin (red) (bottom, scale bar=20 µm).

Read more to learn about their findings.

Our human endothelial cells are constantly being used by researchers in their publications. This past month, both our human Retinal Microvascular Endothelial Cells (hRMECs) (cat # HEC09) and our human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (hBMECs) (cat # HEC02) were used in publications we'd like to highlight. You can find all customer publications using our endothelial cells here.

Image: SNHG16 subcellular distribution in hRMECs under low-glucose or high-glucose conditions.

In the first publication, investigators from Huazhong University of Science and Technology used our hRMECs in their diabetes research. Diabetic retinopathy has been shown to result from abnormal proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of hRMECs in the retina. The researchers explored the role of long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) in regulating hRMECs supplied by Neuromics in high-glucose conditions. After finding that SNHG16 likely plays a role in hRMEC dysfunction, they suggest their finding could provide a framework for diabetic retinopathy treatments.

Another day, another publication released using reagents from Neuromics. In this case, investigators used our human brain microvascular pericytes (Cat.# HMP104) and human brain astrocytes (Cat.# HMP202) when looking into the pathogenesis of malaria. You can find all publications using human cells & tissue from Neuromics here.

Image: BBB Spheroid with astrocytes and pericytes from Neuromics.

Researchers working together from the University of Copenhagen, Ispat General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School recently published their findings on the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria, one of the most serious complications related to malaria. Using human brain microvascular pericytes and human brain astrocytes from Neuromics to build a 3D spheroid model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), they discovered that malaria-infected erythrocytes bind to brain endothelial cells. As a result, brain endothelial cells begin to swell, causing a breakdown of the BBB.

At Neuromics, we strive to provide reagents that customers can trust. One of the ways we build trust is by highlighting published research using our products, showing that our reagents truly walk the talk.

Earlier this month, researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Mississippi University Medical Center published their findings on the role of Piezo2 using human Schwann Cells (cat.# HMP303) from Neuromics.

Image: IHC delineation of Piezo2 (PZ2) axonal component and Schwann cell expression. In image I, Neuromics human Schwann Cells show double immunostaining of Piezo2 (red) and S100 (green). Scale bar: 50 µm for all.

Read more to learn about their findings...

Better understanding the COVID-19 virus is key in developing therapeutics that could help end the pandemic. At Neuromics, we offer many reagents that can be used in COVID-19 research, including human cells, antibodies, and more.

Recently, researchers from Emory University released their preliminary findings on the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 using our Human Small Intestine Endothelial Cells.

Image: Detected auto Ig levels in specific cell types, including our human small intestine endothelial cells (HSIMEC)

Learn more about their findings.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we’ve added more human cells to our expanding list of products for COVID-19 research. Our new ACE2-GFP cell lines include smooth muscle, endothelial, and epithelial cells from organs that are most affected by the virus.

Studying how the coronavirus attacks these cells is crucial to understanding both the short-term and long-term effects of the virus. With these cells, researchers can better understand the underlying biology of the COVID-19 virus and its effects on the respiratory and pulmonary systems.

Read more to see the new cells. 

Neuromics offers a wide variety of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) perfect for use in cancer research along with other areas of interest. In this post, we'd like to highlight our Lung Adenocarcinoma CAFs (cat. CAF117), which were utilized in two articles published in the past week. 

Image: HDAC11 inhibitors prevent growth of cancer cells even in presence of CAFs. Treatment of 2D coculture of A549 (red) cells with primary lung CAFs (Green) (CAF117) with 10 μM of FT234 show that the HDAC11 inhibitor selectively reduces the growth of A549 cells as compared to the Control co-cultures in 48 h. Such an effect was not observed in the negative control FT650 treatment. Image courtesy of Namrata Bora-Singhal, et al. Novel HDAC11 Inhibitors Suppress Lung Adenocarcinoma Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Overcome Drug Resistance by Suppressing Sox2. Scientific Reports, 10:4722. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61295-6

Learn more about these recent publications...

Neuromics is always striving to provide customers with human cells to incorporate into their research, especially cancer research. To complement our wide selection of cancer associated fibroblasts, we have recently added GFP and RFP expressing tumor cells. These new cells range across a variety of carcinomas, including glioblastoma, renal adenocarcinoma, gastric carcinoma, and prostate cancer.

Image: GFP expressing human renal adenocarcinoma (ACHN) cells (TR04-GFP).

Learn more about these cells...

Check out this study using our Human Pancreatic Fibroblasts about the role of compression in metastatis.

Pancreatic fibroblasts are continuously gaining ground as an important component of tumor microenvironment that dynamically interact with cancer cells to promote tumor progression. In addition, these tumor-infiltrated fibroblasts can acquire an activated phenotype and produce excessive amounts of extracellular matrix creating a highly dense stroma, a situation known as desmoplasia.

First Image: Neuromics' Human Pancreatic Fibroblast in culture-Controls and Compressed.

We have built the foundation of Neuromics on satisfied customers. We make a practice of following up with each user to make sure our solutions are working as expected. If not, we offer "no question asked" refunds or replacements. Additionally, we use reviews and publications as a measure of satisfaction. Here I would l highlight the latest publication using our Human Retinal Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HRMECs or HRMECs in T25 Flask).

Images: Effect of HG (high glucose) and pro-inflammatory cytokines on connexin43 expression in HRMECs. Immunohistochemical data showing connexin43 expression in (A) normal medium; (B) HG (25 mM); (C) pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α 10 ng/mL each); and (D) a combination of HG and pro-inflammatory cytokines inducing a change in cell morphology with signs of cell swelling, possibly owing to hemichannel opening (indicated by white arrows).

In this study, the authors developed a 3D functional human microvascular network in a microfluidic device. The established model enables Neuromics GFP-labeled human umbilical vein endothelial cellsto form vessel-like microtissues and have physiological functions which are closer to cells in human blood vessels. The perfusable microvasculature allows the delivery of nutrients, and oxygen, as well as flow-induced mechanical stimuli into the luminal space of the endothelium. The microflow effectively mimic the blood flow in human vessels.

Non Perfusion Model

Perfusion models afford this, but are expensive, sensitive and require specialized expertise. Given this, I believed it a good time to represent a protocol that can be used for our primary neurons and can be extrapolated to many of our other primary and stem cells.

Are You Ready?

Neuromics is a proud Sponsor of this challenge. It enables us to further leverage our potent, proven and published 3-D Cell-Based Assay Solutions into drug discovery for eye-related diseases.

Our solution set includes 21-CFR Compliant human primary and stem cells and research ready custom and off the shelf 3-D Models. We also provide defined media and supplements.

Last month, we highlighted the many occasions in which our primary human neurons (cat. HNC001) have been cited in published research. This includes creating 3D spheroids, studying the link between Alzheimer's and COVID-19, and identifying neuroblastoma therapeutic targets (learn more here).

This month, our human brain astrocytes (cat. HMP202) are stealing the spotlight. Just last week, scientists from Vaccinex, Inc. published neurodegenerative disease findings. With the help of our astrocytes, the researchers determined that creating a blockade of Semaphorin 4D may preserve normal astrocyte function and improve disease pathology in astrocytes interacting with already damaged neurons.

Image: Neuromics astrocytes stained with S100 beta.

We encourage you to check out the full publication here. Furthermore, you can explore all publications using our astrocytes here. Lastly, follow this link to browse all publications using our human cells & tissue.

We are constantly expanding our product offerings so that we can continue to be a one-stop shop for biological products. This month, we are pleased to introduce three new cell types that will assuredly help investigators in a variety of fields.

Neuromics is now providing primary human colon fibroblasts (cat. HCF001), lung fibroblasts (cat. HLF001), and pancreatic fibroblasts (cat. HPF001). All three cell types were isolated from healthy donor tissue and are available for $899 (500,000 cells).

Why are we so excited to introduce these cells? These 'normal' fibroblasts perfectly complement our existing selection of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which have been implicated in important aspects of epithelial solid tumor biology. Cancer researchers can now compare fibroblasts isolated from cancerous tissue (CAFs) and fibroblasts isolated from 'normal' tissue.

Read more to explore all of our primary fibroblast options...