Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HBMVEC)

Product Description

The human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMVEC) are the major element of the blood-brain barrier and comprise the primary limitation to passage of substances, both soluble and cellular, from the blood into the brain. HBMVEC utilize unique features that distinguish themselves from those of peripheral endothelial cells. Most prominent among these are the following: 1) intercellular ‘tight junctions’ that display high transendothelial electrical resistance and retard paracellular flux ^[1], 2) absence of fenestrae and a reduced level of fluid-phase endocytosis ^[2], and 3) asymmetrically-localized enzymes and carrier-mediated transport systems that engender a truly ‘polarized’ phenotype. Like peripheral endothelial cells, however, HBMVEC express, or can be induced to express, cell adhesion molecules on their surface that regulate the extravasation of leukocytes into the brain. HBMVEC has been widely used for studying the molecular and cellular basis of blood-brain barrier.

iXCells Biotechnologies provides high quality HBMVEC, which are isolated from human brain and cryopreserved at P1, with ≥ 0.5 million cells in each vial. These HBMVEC express vWF/Factor VIII, CD31 (PECAM), and Dil-Ac-LDL by uptake. They are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi and can further expand no more than 3 passages in Endothelial Cell Growth Medium (Cat# MD-0010) under the condition suggested by iXCells Biotechnologies. Further expansion may decrease the purity.

Figure 1. Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HBMVEC). (A) Phase contrast image of HBMVEC. (B) Immunofluorescence staining with antibodies against CD31 and vWF/Factor VIII.

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References

[1] Crone, C. and Oleson, S. P. (1992) Electrical resistance of brain microvessel endothelium. Brain Res. 241: 49-55. 

[2] Reese, T. S. and Karnovsky, M. J. (1967) Fine structural localization of blood-brain barrier to exogenous peroxidase. J. Cell Biol. 34:9-14. [3] Vorbrodt, A. W. (1988) Ultrastructural cytochemistry of blood-brain barrier endothelia. Prog. Histochem. Cytochem. 18(3):1-96.

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