Lifeline^® normal Human Corneal Epithelial Cells (HCEC), when grown in Lifeline^® OcuLife™ Medium, provide an ideal serum-free culture model for many areas of research. Common uses of HCEC are cell-matrix interactions, gene regulation and tissue development, drug development, and validation of alternative methods in toxicology.

• HCEC are isolated from human corneal tissue and expanded twice in culture vessels before being harvested for cryopreservation.

Our HCEC are quality tested in OcuLife™ Medium to ensure optimal morphology and growth over a period of at least three passages.

Lifeline^® HCEC are not exposed to antimicrobials or phenol red when cultured in OcuLife™ Medium, an advantage since these supplements can cause cell stress and “masking effects” that may negatively impact experimental results. Lifeline® offers these traditional supplements, but they aren’t recommended or needed to achieve optimal cell performance in most research applications.

Human Corneal Epithelial Cells are tested for:

• Cell Count: 500,000 cryopreserved cells per vial
• Proliferation and Morphology in Fully Supplemented OcuLife™ Medium: Normal cell appearance for 3 passages
• Cell Viability: Minimum 70% viability when thawed from cryopreservation
• Sterility: Negative for mycoplasma, Negative for bacterial and fungal growth
• Virus: Negative for HIV-1, HIV-2, HBV, and HCV by PCR

500,000 cells per vial