Technical

Extracel-X™ First-Time User Guidelines

For research use only

If this is your first time using Extracel-X™, Glycosan strongly suggests performing a simple bench-top experiment to familiarize yourself with how the hydrogel works. We also strongly recommend that you conduct a pilot animal study before using Extracel-X™ for a large number of animals.

Bench-Top Gelation Test

Based on your planned animal experiments, decide on the cell concentration, medium type, and medium dilution that will be used for your experiments. Perform a gelation test with Extracel-X™ as described in “Guidelines for 3-D cell encapsulation in Extracel-X™ hydrogels for xenograft applications” to determine the available working time for Extracel-X™ injections. These three variables are dictated as follows:

  1. Cell concentration depends on the cell type and length of time desired for tumor growth. (In general, tumor cells injected in Extracel™ produce tumors more rapidly and of more reproducible size than cells injected in medium alone.)
  2. Medium type is based on cell type used. You may use the medium that is normally used for in vitro culture.
  3. Medium dilution is based on required gelation time of Extracel-X™ and the amount of nutrients needed to keep cells alive prior to injection.

Pilot Animal Study

Glycosan strongly suggests that researchers using Extracel-X™ conduct a pilot study using a small number of nude mice to determine the optimal experimental conditions for a given tumor cell line. The following variables should be considered in the pilot study:

  • Cell type. Extracel™ has been successfully used for injection and growth of primary cells and thirty or more cell lines, including most common cancer lines.
  • Cell density. You may need to empirically determine the optimal density for a given cell line and injection location.
  • Injection volume. You may need to empirically determine the optimal volume for a given cell line and injection location.
  • Extracel-X™ dilution with medium. The dilution will affect the rate of gelation and may also affect the rate of tumor growth. See “Guidelines for 3-D cell encapsulation in Extracel-X™ hydrogels for xenograft applications” for recommendations on how to set up a pilot experiment. We also recommend performing an in vitro study using the same conditions as anticipated for the in vivo study to control for cell viability.

If you have any questions, please call Glycosan Technical Services at 801-583-8212.