TheEpiCorneal3Dhumantissuemodelprovidesahighlypredictivenon-animalalternativetoassessdrugdelivery,infection,woundhealing/tissueregenerationanddiseasemodeling(i.e.DryEye).Technology:MatTek’sEpiCornealtissuemodelconsistsofnormalhumancornealepithelialcellsculturedtoformastratified,squamousepitheliumwhichcloselyparallelsnormalhumancornealtissue.Thecornealcells,culturedonspeciallypreparedcellcultureinsertswithserum-freemedium,differentiatetoformamulti-layeredstructure.TEMAnalysisofEpiCornealillustratesthepresenceof1)microvilli,2)tightjunctions(whitearrows),and3)desmosomes(blackarrows)TightJunctionProteinZO-1(green)Usedindrugdeliveryanddrugdevelopment,EpiCornealisamitoticallyandmetabolicallyactivetissuewithbarrierpropertiesapproachingthoseofthehumancornea.EpiCornealcanbestimulatedtoreleasemanycytokinesknowntobeimportantininflammationanddiseasessuchasdryeye.Further,theadvanced3Dtissuemodelexpressescorneaspecificdrugtransportersandmetabolizingenzymes.BarrierPropertiesofEpiCornealcomparedtoEpiOcularmeasuredbytransepithelialelectricalresistance(TEER).GeneExpressionAnalysisshowstheexpressionofcorneaspecificMarkers,drugmetabolizingenzymesandtransportersincludingAldehydeDehydrogenase(ALDH3A1),PyrimidineNucleotideOxidoreductase(TRXR1)andMucin4(MUC4)Applications:CornealDrugDeliveryandCornealToxicityEpiCornealcloselyrecapitulatesthephysiology,3Dtissuearchitecture,andfunctionofthehumancorneaforuseinpharmaceuticaldevelopmentapplications.ContactDr.YuliaKaluzhnyformoreinformation.BrowseourreferencelibrarytoseehowourEpiCornealtissuehasbeenusedintheseareasofstudy.TechSpecs:TissueKit:AstandardEpiCornealkit(COR-100)consistsof24tissues.(Tissue“kits”containtissues,asmallamountofculturemedium,andplasticware;contactMatTekforspecifickitcontents)Formats:9mmindividualinserts–tissueculturesubstrateischemicallymodifiedwithaporesizeof0.4μmCulture:Air-liquidinterfaceHistology:4-5celllayers–stratified,squamousmorphologyandtissuestructureLotnumbers:Tissuelotsproducedeachweekareassignedaspecificlotnumber.Aletterofthealphabetisappendedtotheendofthelotnumbertodifferentiatebetweenindividualkitswithinagivenlotoftissues.Alltissuekitswithinalotareidenticalinregardstocells,medium,handling,cultureconditions,etc.Shipment:At4°Conmedium-supplemented,agarosegelsShipmentday:EveryMondayDelivery:TuesdaymorningviaFedExpriorityservice(US).OutsideUS:Tuesday-ThursdaydependingonlocationShelflife:Includingtimeintransit,tissuesmaybestoredat4°Cforupto3dayspriortouse.However,extendedstorageperiodsarenotrecommendedunlessnecessary.Inaddition,thebestreproducibilitywillbeobtainediftissuesareusedconsistentlyonthesameday,e.g.Tuesdayafternoonorfollowingovernightstorageat4°C(Wednesdaymorning)CellsType:Normalhumancornealepithelialcells(HCEC)Geneticmake-up:SingledonorDerivedfrom:HealthydonorScreenedfor:HIV,Hepatitis-B,Hepatitis-C,mycoplasmaMediumBasemedium:Dulbecco’sModifiedEagle’sMedium(DMEM).Growthfactors/hormones:Epidermalgrowthfactor,insulin,hydrocortisoneandotherproprietarystimulatorsofcornealepithelialdifferentiation.Serum:None.Antibiotics:Penicillin(50U/ml)/Streptomycin(50µg/ml)Anti-fungalagent:AmphotericinB(0.125µg/ml).pHIndicator:Phenolred.Alternatives:Phenolred-free,antibiotic/anti-fungal-free,orhydrocortisone-freemediumandtissueareavailable.Agentsareremovedatleast3dayspriortoshipment.Maintenancemedium:MostexperimentswithEpiCorneal™areperformedwithin48hours.However,forlongerexperiments,thetissuecanbemaintainedinCOR-100-MM(identicaltoEpiCorneal™assaymedium).QualityControlandSterilityVisualinspection:Alltissuesarevisuallyinspectedandifphysicalimperfectionsarenoted,tissuesarerejectedforshipmentSterility:Allmediausedthroughouttheproductionprocessischeckedforsterility.Maintenancemediumisincubatedwithandwithoutantibioticsfor1weekandcheckedforsterility.Theagarosegelfromthe24-wellplateusedforshippingisalsoincubatedfor1weekandcheckedforanysignofcontaminationScreeningforpathogens:AllcellsarescreenedandarenegativeforHIV,hepatitisBandhepatitisCusingPCR.However,noknowntestmethodcanoffercompleteassurancethatthecellsarepathogenfree.Thus,theseproductsandallhumanderivedproductsshouldbehandledatBSL-2levels(biosafetylevel2)orhigherasrecommendedintheCDC-NIHmanual,“BiosafetyinmicroBIOLOGicalandbiomedicallaboratories,”1998.Forfurtherassistance,pleasecontactyoursiteSafetyOfficerorMatTektechnicalserviceNotificationoflotfailure:IfatissuelotfailsourQCorsterilitytesting,thecustomerwillbenotifiedandthetissueswillbereplacedwithoutchargewhenappropriate.BecauseourQCandsterilitytestingisdonepost-shipment,notificationwillbemadeassoonaspossIBLe(Undernormalcircumstances,ET-50failureswillbenotifiedbyWednesday5p.m.;sterilityfailureswillbenotifiedwithin8daysofshipment)
MatTek公司是麻省理工学院两个化学工程教授于1985成立的科技公司。1991年,该公司利用其核心的聚合物表面改性技术进入新兴的组织工程领域,目前已成长为的组织工程技术公司,致力于生产创新性的3D重构人体组织模型,该模型相较于传统2D细胞模型具有更可靠的实验结果。其生产的重构皮肤,眼部和呼吸道组织模型已广泛应用于化妆品,化工,医药和家用产品等行业的毒理学监控(OECD,欧盟的指导方针)及毒理学研究。
MatTek公司的基于人体细胞的3D皮肤模型EpiDerm于1993年研发上市,立即获得巨大的成功。从此MatTek通过以下方式彻底改变了基于人体细胞的体外模型市场:(1)低成本(降低50-80%的成本);(2)通过发表质量控制标准(同时具备阳性和阴性对照)以确保可为行业及监管机构接受的高可重复性水平;(3)优化研究人员的实验结果。通过创造性使用非动物的体外测试,融合降低(直接/间接)成本的强大协同效应及显著提高的产品质量,MatTek极大的降低产品成本、提高实验室效率及高质量的高可重复性产品,减少实验动物的使用,具有无可超越的长期组织可重复性;3-D仿真结构;高度分化的组织模型;代谢和分裂活性;源于正常的人体细胞;培养、操作简便;无血清培养;可定量的客观检测;物美价廉的优点。因而使得MatTek人细胞来源的体外组织模型被包括美国、加拿大、欧洲、日本和东亚的众多跨国公司与研究机构采用。
目前MatTek公司的产品主要包括EpiDerm(皮肤模型)、MelanoDerm(黑色素模型)、EpiOcular(眼周表皮模型)、EpiAirway呼吸道上皮模型)、EpiDermFT (全厚的皮肤模型) 、EpiVaginal(阴道上皮模型)、EpiOral(口腔上皮模型)、 EpiGingivalTM(牙龈上皮模型)、Psoriasis tissue(牛皮癣组织模型)及树突细胞。