CI-huThyrEC

Most likely yes, albeit in minimal quantities and specifically under 3D culture conditions. The synthesis and secretion of T3 and T4 thyroid hormones necessitate a complex 3D structure (follicular lumen), alongside the precise spatial arrangement of various proteins. Some of our academic partners have shown thyroid hormone levels in the lower nanogram per milliliter range when the huThyrECs were stimulated with TSH and cultured in conditions that more closely mimic physiological environments, incorporating both a suitable medium and 3D culturing. Should you have further inquiries or wish to delve deeper into this subject, please feel free to reach out to us.

No, our huThyrEC Medium (Cat. No. INS-ME-1017) does not contain TSH.

The h7H medium is a published medium formulation that is modelled after reference values for human serum of the Mayo Clinic. It has been successfully used to culture primary human thyroid cells. Our CI-huThyrECs can also be cultured in h7H medium and this can lead to an improved thyroid phenotype. However, the medium formulation is quite convoluted and likely contains several components that are not necessary for obtaining a good thyroid phenotype.

Please note that the published h7H recipe does already contain TSH at a final concentration of 40miliU/l, in contrast to our huThyrEC Medium, which does not contain any TSH.

TPO expression has been demonstrated by our colleagues from academia (see Jun et al. 2023 in the Literature and References section), however only in significant amounts in 3D cell culture. Gravina and colleagues (2023) have used lentiviral overexpression of TPO in our CI-huThyrECs to achieve high enough levels in standard 2D monolayer culture.

Yes, a variety of 3D cell culture models have been described for our huThyrECs, including:

• culture as spheroids on low attachment plates,
• culture as spheroids im Matrigel
• culture in 3D aggregates using advanced materials

All these cell culture systems have been established by our colleagues from varius research labs. Please see the Literature and Reference section for papers that provide detailed protocols for each of the 3D cell culture systems.

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.