3D Cell Culture

Sigma® offers a broad portfolio of three-dimensional cell culture systems including MaxGel™ human Extracellular Matrix (ECM), HydroMatrix™ synthetic peptide, and mouse ECM, to support stem cell and other cell cultures. These products provide three-dimensional environments in which cells are better able to mimic their in vivo counterparts.

• Culture cells in a way that resembles their in vivo environments
• Promote cell growth and migration to support the proliferation of stem cell and other mammalian cells
• Reduced level of growth factors promotes lot-to-lot consistency

3D Matrices

• HydroMatrix™ synthetic peptide
• MaxGel™ human ECM
• Mouse ECM

HydroMatrix™ Peptide Hydrogel

A synthetic peptide nanofiber scaffold, HydroMatrix offers the precision and control of a synthesized matrix with the natural three-dimensional architecture of highly crosslinked peptide hydrogel. The HydroMatrix scaffold self-assembles from fluid precursors into a highly cross-linked peptide 3-dimensional hydrogel in response to changes in temperature or ionic strength.

By adjusting the concentration of the HydroMatrix solution, researchers are able to control the flexibility of the 3-D architecture, and tailor the structure to meet their individual needs. HydroMatrix promotes cell growth and migration and has been shown to support the proliferation of many cell types, including neural stem cells, neurons, glia, astrocytes, fibroblasts, and keratinocytes.

HydroMatrix Peptide Cell Culture Scaffold enables excellent cell growth. Rat neural stem cells (NSC’s) were cultured on three surfaces. NSC's grew poorly on tissue culture plastic (A) and slightly better in poly-L-lysine/laminin-coated plates (B). NSC's demonstrated excellent growth on HydroMatrix peptide hydrogel 0.5% (w/v) (C).

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MaxGel™ Human ECM

Produced in vitro, MaxGel human ECM provides a rich three dimensional environment to promote cellular proliferation. MaxGel ECM contains extracellular matrix components including collagens, laminin, fibronectin, tenascin, elastin, a number of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans. The cell-cultured derived ECM effectively reproduces the cooperative interaction of epithelia and mesenchyme during development and in organotypic cell culture of skin. The human MaxGel ECM promotes cell growth and migration and has been shown to support the proliferation of many cell types, including neural stem cells, neurons, glia, astrocytes, fibroblasts, hepatocytes and keratinocytes.

MaxGel ECM Matrix enables improved expansion of Adult Keratinocytes. HaCaT cells (derived from human adult skin keratinocytes) were grown for 24 hours after plating on tissue culture plastic (A) and on 1% human ECM (B), which demonstrate that HaCaT cells proliferate better on ECM.

MaxGel ECM Matrix enables improved expansion of Fetal Lung Fibroblasts. MRC-5 cells (derived from human fetal lung fibroblasts) were grown for 24 hours after plating on tissue culture plastic (A) and on 1% human ECM (B). As seen with other cells, MRC-5 cells propagate better on ECM.

Related Products

• Collagen
• Laminin
• Fibronectin