Cell Applications, Inc. products

Primary Cells - Chondrocyte

Human Chondrocytes: Osteoarthritis: HC-OA

Human Chondrocytes Osteoarthritis (HC-OA) are derived from human articular cartilage of donors with OA. Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory disease characterized by increased degradation of cartilage tissue in the joint due to overproduction of enzymes degrading the extracellular matrix. Despite the initial proliferation and activation of chondrocytes, they are not able to efficiently repair the degrading cartilage. Instead, chondrocytes undergo terminal differentiation and eventually apoptose, leading to mineralization of cartilage in a process resembling bone formation during development. Thus, HC-OA provide a useful model to study changes in chondrocyte biology in response to abnormal environment of the OA joint. HC-OA from Cell Applications, Inc. have been used to demonstrate that THF-alpha activates transcription of ADAMTS-4, a metalloproteinase implicated in cartilage degradation in OA, via p38-MAPK-dependent mechanism.

Human Chondrocytes: HC

Human Chondrocytes (HC) are derived from normal human articular cartilage, where they produce and maintain the extracellular matrix of cartilage, including type II collagen. Used widely in research, the cells are a gold standard control for cellular reprogramming and differentiation. Chondrocytes grown in monolayer culture on a solid surface tend to lose their phenotypic markers, no longer produce Collagen type II and sulfated proteoglycan, and de-differentiate to a fibroblast-like phenotype. In order to regain phenotypic characteristics, de-differentiated chondrocytes should be re-differentiated by encapsulating in alginate beads using the Chondrocyte Differentiation Kit (Cat# 072K).