CI-huBroBECs are immortalized bronchial basal epithelial cells. Bronchial epithelial cells line the respiratory airways, including the bronchi and bronchioles, where they act as a defensive barrier and maintain the airway structure. CI-huBroBECs show a basal-like phenotype in standard monolayer conditions and can be differentiated into a pseudostratified airway epithelium in ALI culture conditions, where they form ciliated cells, as well as mucus-producing goblet-like cells.
CI-huBroBECs are a newer and improved variant of our CI-huAEC cells, which they directly replace. CI-huBroBECs were derived from CI-huAECs by single-cell cloning.
Characteristics
- TEER of >1500 Ω×sqcm in Air-Liquid-Interface culture
- Tight junctions (ZO1)
- Basal-like in 2D monolayer (TP63, KRT5)
- Differentiation in ALI (CFTR, MUC5, Acetylated Tubulin)
- Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection
Buying and Ordering the Cells
Academic Research
Non-profit academic and research institutions, universities, and governmental entities may purchase the cells for internal, non-commercial research under inscreenex’s Academic Research Limited Use Label License. This license is intended for internal research only.
Industry Research
Industry customers may purchase the cells for internal research and development under inscreenex’s Industry Research Limited Use Label License. This license is intended for internal R&D, drug discovery and assay development use only.
Commercial Use
Industry customers planning to use the cells for true commercial purposes require a separate Commercial Use license from inscreenex. This includes, for example, providing services to third parties, incorporating the cells into a product or platform, or using the cells in manufacturing, QC, or batch-/lot-release testing.
How to Order
To request a quote, please email us at or use the contact form provided below.
We are already registered on several digital order processing platforms, if you would like to add us as a registered supplier, please contact us at and we are happy to help.
Supplied as
Each license includes 1 vial of >0.5Mio viable cells. Additional or replacement vials can be purchased for a fee of 450€.



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Product Details
CI-huBroBECs at low and high confluency, cultured in huBroBEC Medium (Cat.-No. INS-ME-1033) as a 2D monolayer on Coating Solution (Cat.-No. INS-SU-1026).

Coming Soon!
Stay tuned for comprehensive details on our cell line characteristics and corresponding protocols, which will be available here shortly.
- Product Sheet including all relevant protocols and instructions (PDF)
- Material Safety Data Sheet (PDF)
- Request CoA (Email)
Coming Soon!
Stay tuned for comprehensive protocols for this cell line, from routine cell cultures to assay manuals.
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We recommend the following reagents for the cell culture of this cell line:
Growth Medium: huBroBEC Medium (INS-ME-1033)
Coating: Coating Solution (INS-SU-1026)
Freezing Medium: Cell Freezing Medium (INS-SU-1027)
Please note that while you may be able to adapt the cells to different cell culture reagents, we can only guarantee optimal performance using the recommended reagents.
Product FAQ
CI-huBroBECs are a newer and improved variant of our CI-huAEC cells, which they directly replace. CI-huBroBECs were derived from CI-huAECs by single-cell cloning.
No, CI-huBroBECs serve as a direct replacement for CI-huAECs because they are derived from them and exhibit a more robust and improved phenotype. The CI-huAEC cell line is now considered a legacy product and is available only upon request for those needing it to replicate prior research.
Yes, CI-huBroBEC cells can be cultured in Air-Liquid Interface (ALI) conditions. Please follow the instructions provided in the Product Sheet.
For the best performance of this cell line, we advise using our Medium and Coating Solutions specified in the product sheet. These have been specially optimized for these cells. While it may be possible to adapt the cells to a different medium, we cannot assure their optimal performance outside our recommended Medium and Coating Solution. To validate any new culturing conditions, we suggest conducting comparative tests with our recommended protocols to confirm the cells’ expected behavior.
All our cell lines were immortalized using our custom library of immortalization genes. This library contains a combination of specifically selected immortalization genes encoded in lentiviruses. For a detailed description of our immortalization technology refer to Lipps et al. Nat comm vol. 9,1 994. 2018.
Firstly, it is worth mentioning that passage number is not always a reliable indicator of cell ageing due to its dependence on variables like seeding densities and split ratios. However, they can provide useful guidance in routine cell culture.
Our cell lines are truly immortalized, allowing for indefinite culturing. Nonetheless, we advise caution beyond passage 50. While more stable than typical cancer cell lines, our cells can still undergo changes with prolonged culture. We recommend periodically assessing cell performance after passage 50.
Typically, our immortalized cells are provided at passages 5 to 15. To avoid running out of material, we suggest banking cells immediately after initial expansion. This strategy ensures you always have sufficient cells for your research.
Should there be any concerns about depleting your cell stock, you have the option to order a new vial of cells as a replacement for a handling fee.
This cell line is BSL 1 according to German legislation. However, persons working with such cell lines and their employers are required to familiarize themselves with the national regulations and safety precautions, as they may differ. Our provided biosafety classification does not provide any exemption from this responsibility.
Yes, industry customers planning to use the cells for true commercial purposes may request a separate Commercial Use license from inscreenex. This includes, for example, providing services to third parties, incorporating the cells into a product or platform, or using the cells in manufacturing, QC, or release workflows.
Industry customers planning to use the cells for internal R&D, drug discovery and assay development may purchase the cells under the inscreenex Industry Research Limited Use Label License.
Our immortalized cell lines are fully characterized and can be expanded indefinitely, making them a one-time purchase for perpetual use. This differs from primary cells, which are consumables you would need to repurchase. The licensing model not only respects the perpetual use value but also allows us to adjust fees based on your specific use case. Consider two scenarios: Customer A wants the cells for a single assay at one site for a limited time, while Customer B plans to use them globally across multiple sites for drug discovery and additionally transfer them to a CRO. Charging both customers the same one-time fee would not account for the vastly different use cases. That’s why our license fees are tailored to fit your unique needs.
Literature and Reference
No research papers published yet.
We love to hear about your research! Please let us know if you have published using our cells.

