CI-huOB

For the cultivation of our CI-huOB osteoblasts, we provide two specialised cell culture media

• huOB Maintenance Medium (Catalogue Number INS-ME-1006) for standard cell expansion and routine subculturing, and
• huOB Differentiation Medium (Catalogue Number INS-ME-1007) designed to induce cell differentiation.

The Maintenance Medium is formulated to support the cells‘ expansion and routine growth. In contrast, the Differentiation Medium is tailored to slow cell proliferation and promote calcification and mineralization, marking the onset of differentiation. This medium should only be employed to initiate differentiation processes and is not suitable for the cells‘ expansion or routine culture. Detailed protocols and guidance are available in the Product Information Sheet.

Yes, the cells can can be cultured as 3D spheroids using a wide range of low attachment plates or similar methods to induce spheroid formation.

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. 

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.