Description
HyStem-HP hydrogel is fully chemically-defined and is ideal for cell applications whereby the slow, continuous release of growth factors is crucial to re-creating a desired microenvironment. The HyStem-HP Hydrogel Kit contains a combination of thiol-modified hyaluronan and a thiol-modified heparin (Heprasil®), thiol-modified denatured collagen (Gelin-S), and thiolreactive crosslinker, PEGDA (Extralink).
The immobilized heparin in the HyStem-HP hydrogel mimics the heparin sulfate proteoglycans normally present in the extracellular matrix. Heparin forms an ionic bond with proteins and protects them from proteolysis and facilitates their slow release into the cell culture medium. This significantly reduces the amount of growth factor required to trigger cell growth or differentiation compared to when growth factors are added directly to the medium.
Product may be shipped ambient, but please store at -20C until ready for use.
Features
- Growth factors can be mixed into the hydrogels prior to gelation to provide a slow growth factor release depot.
- Hydrogels are suitable for animal implantation (such as angiogenesis applications and cell or drug delivery), culturing of primary cells, stem cells, and cell lines in the presence of growth factors.
- Cells can be encapsulated or grown on the hydrogel surface in any format, including culture flasks, 6- to 384-well plates or tissue culture inserts.
- Hydrogels can be easily customized by the user to possess the desired stiffness and gelation time by manipulating component concentration and mixing ratios.
Gelation
Reconstituted HyStem-HP components remain liquid at 15 to 37°C. The hydrogel is formed when the crosslinking agent, Extralink® (PEGDA) is added to a mixture of Heprasil® (thiol-modified hyaluronan plus heparin) and Gelin-S® (thiol-modified gelatin). Gelation occurs in about twenty minutes after all three components are mixed. No steps depend on low temperatures or low pH. Diluting the components with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or cell-culture medium can increase the gelation time.
3D Cell Recovery Matrix
For application where cell recovery is critical, the alternative crosslinker PEGSSDA is available for use with all HyStem, HyStem-C and HyStem-HP kits. This crosslinker provides the same advantages offered by Extralink with the additional benefit of containing easily reducible internal bonds. This allows for fast, easy recovery of single cells or clusters from the hydrogel for applications like RNA analysis or flow cytometry instead of slow enzymatic methods that can impact cell viability. Researchers are encouraged to contact us to determine the compatibility of particular cell types or culture systems with PEGSSDA.
Disclaimer
This product is for R&D use only and is not intended for human or other uses. Please consult the Material Safety Data Sheet for information regarding hazards and safe handling practices.
