MCF-7 Cells








































Essential facts about the MCF7 breast cancer cell line
Description | MCF7 cells, a widely used research model in human breast cancer research, are utilized extensively as an in vitro model for hormone-dependent breast cancer. Originating from the breast tissue of a 69-year-old white female with metastatic adenocarcinoma, MCF7 cells are a widely used in vitro model for hormone-dependent breast cancer, reflecting the Luminal A subtype. This subtype is characterized by a lower grade and better prognosis compared to more aggressive forms of breast cancer. In the realm of breast cancer research, MCF 7 cells are instrumental in evaluating the efficacy of breast cancer drugs and understanding the dynamics of breast cancer stem cells. They are central to cancer research, serving as a comparative model against more aggressive cell lines like MDA-MB-231. The investigation of therapeutic agents, such as tamoxifen and doxorubicin, is critical in drug discovery efforts targeting hormone-dependent breast cancers and gaining insights into the mechanisms of action and resistance. Similarly, the role of estradiol in modulating the growth and characteristics of these cells is a subject of significant interest, given its relevance to hormone-responsive breast cancers. Research employing the MCF7 breast cancer cell line often delves into the cellular processes of cytotoxicity and apoptosis, especially in response to cancer agents like curcumin, known for its potential in cancer prevention. The study of immune responses, including the action of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and the impact of bacterial antigens, further enriches our understanding of the tumor microenvironment and potential therapeutic targets. MCF7 cells are meticulously studied in both 2D cell culture and 3D cell culture systems, including spheroid culture, to mimic tumor microenvironments more closely. These methodologies enable a more profound exploration of cell spheroid growth and the behavior of cancer stem cells within microtissues in scaffold-based systems. The MCF7 cell line, with its epithelial cell characteristics and resemblance to human adenocarcinoma cells, is a cornerstone of cancer research. It facilitates not only the exploration of breast cancer drugs and their mechanisms but also the broader implications for cancer treatment, including the potential role of mesenchymal stem cells and the efficacy of targeted therapies in vivo studies. |
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Organism | Human |
Tissue | Breast |
Disease | Adenocarcinoma |
Metastatic site | Pleural effusion |
Synonyms | MCF 7, MCF.7, MCF7, Michigan Cancer Foundation-7, ssMCF-7, ssMCF7, MCF7/WT, MCF7-CTRL, IBMF-7 |
Features
Age | 69 years |
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Gender | Female |
Ethnicity | Caucasian |
Morphology | Epithelial-like |
Growth properties | Monolayer, adherent |
Documentation
Citation | MCF-7 (Cytion catalog number 300273) |
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Biosafety level | 1 |
Genetic profile
Receptors expressed | The cells express the wildtype and variant estrogen receptors as well as progesterone receptor. |
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Protein expression | p53 negative, pGP9.5 negative, CEA positive |
Isoenzymes | PGM3, 1, PGM1, 1-2, ES-D, 1-2, AK-1, 1, GLO-1, 1-2, G6PD, B, |
Oncogenes | wnt7h +, Tx-4 |
Tumorigenic | Yes, in nude mice |
Products | Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP) BP-2, BP-4, BP-5 |
Mutational profile | TP53 wt |
Karyotype | The stemline chromosome numbers ranged from hypertriploidy to hypotetraploidy, with the 2S component occurring at 1%. There were 29 to 34 marker chromosomes per S metaphase, 24 to 28 markers occurred in at least 30% of cells, and generally one large submetacentric (M1) and 3 large subtelocentric (M2, M3, and M4) markers were recognizable in over 80% of metaphases. No DM were detected. Chromosome 20 was nullisomic and x was disomic. Phenotype Frequency Product: 0.0154 |
MCF7 cell culturing methods
Culture Medium | EMEM (MEM Eagle), w: 2 mM L-Glutamine, w: 2.2 g/L NaHCO3, w: EBSS (Cytion article number 820100a) |
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Medium supplements | Supplement the medium with 10% FBS and 1% NEAA |
Passaging solution | Accutase |
Doubling time | 24 hours |
Subculturing | Remove the old medium from the adherent cells and wash them with PBS that lacks calcium and magnesium. For T25 flasks, use 3-5 ml of PBS, and for T75 flasks, use 5-10 ml. Then, cover the cells completely with Accutase, using 1-2 ml for T25 flasks and 2.5 ml for T75 flasks. Let the cells incubate at room temperature for 8-10 minutes to detach them. After incubation, gently mix the cells with 10 ml of medium to resuspend them, then centrifuge at 300xg for 3 minutes. Discard the supernatant, resuspend the cells in fresh medium, and transfer them into new flasks that already contain fresh medium. |
Split ratio | A ratio of 1:3 to 1:6 is recommended |
Seeding density | 3 x 10^4 cells/cm^2 |
Fluid renewal | 2 to 3 times per week |
Freezing recovery | Allow the cells to rest for 48 hours past thawing |
Freeze medium | As a cryopreservation medium, use complete growth medium (including FBS) + 10% DMSO for adequate post-thaw viability, or CM-1 (Cytion catalog number 800100), which includes optimized osmoprotectants and metabolic stabilizers to enhance recovery and reduce cryo-induced stress. |
Handling of cryopreserved cultures |
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Quality control
Sterility | Mycoplasma contamination is excluded using both PCR-based assays and luminescence-based mycoplasma detection methods. To ensure there is no bacterial, fungal, or yeast contamination, cell cultures are subjected to daily visual inspections. |
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STR profile |
CSF1PO: 10
D13S317: 11
D16S539: 11,12
D5S818: 12
D7S820: 8,9
TH01: 6
TPOX: 9,12
vWA: 14,15
D3S1358: 16
D21S11: 30
D18S51: 14
Penta E: 7,12
Penta D: 12
D8S1179: 10,14
FGA: 23,25
D1S1656: 15.3
D6S1043: 12,18
D2S1338: 21,23
D12S391: 18,20
D19S433: 13,14
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HLA alleles |
A*: '02:01:01
B*: '18:01:01, '44:02:01
C*: '05:XX
DRB1*: '03:01:01, '15:01:01
DQA1*: '01:02:01, '05:01:01
DQB1*: '02:01:01, '06:02:01
DPB1*: '02:01:02, '04:01:01
E: '01:01:01
|
Required products
What's in EMEM?
EMEM is a modified version of Eagle's minimum essential medium, containing Earle's Balanced Salt Solution, non-essential amino acids, L-glutamine, sodium pyruvate, and sodium bicarbonate. It's important to note that this level of sodium bicarbonate is intended for use in 5% CO2 in the air. To maintain its effectiveness, storing the medium at 2°C to 8°C in the dark when not in use is recommended.
What is EMEM used for?
Eagle's minimal essential medium (EMEM) is a cell culture medium that can maintain cells in tissue culture. The medium contains higher concentrations of amino acids, allowing for a more accurate approximation of the protein composition of cultured mammalian cells. EMEM may be used to cultivate various cells, including fibroblasts, human liver cancer cell line (HepG2) cells and human fetal brain progenitor-derived astrocyte cells (PDA). It is typically used in the presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS), calf, or horse sera.
How is EMEM different from other cell culture media?
While EMEM and Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) share some similarities, they also differ. Both media lack protein and contain the amino acids, salts, glucose, and vitamins required to provide a cell with energy and maintain it in tissue culture. However, the DMEM formulation is modified to contain up to four times more vitamins and amino acids and two to four times more glucose than EMEM. It's worth noting that EMEM is also different from the original MEM formulation.
Quality Control
Sterile-filtered
Storage and Shelf Life
Store at +2°C to +8°C, protected from light.
Once opened, store at 4°C and use within 6–8 weeks.
Shipping Conditions
Ambient temperature
Maintenance
Keep refrigerated at +2°C to +8°C in the dark. Avoid freezing and frequent warming to +37°C, as it reduces product quality.
Do not heat the medium beyond 37°C or use uncontrolled heat sources such as microwave appliances.
If only part of the medium is to be used, remove the required amount and warm it to room temperature before use.
Composition
Category
Components
Concentration (mg/L)
Amino Acids
L-Arginine HCl
126.00
L-Cystine 2 HCl
31.30
L-Glutamine
292.00
L-Histidine HCl H2O
42.00
L-Isoleucine
52.00
L-Leucine
52.00
L-Lysine HCl
72.50
L-Methionine
15.00
L-Phenylalanine
32.00
L-Threonine
48.00
L-Tryptophan
10.00
L-Tyrosine 2 Na 2 H2O
51.90
L-Valine
46.00
Vitamins
Choline Chloride
1.00
Vitamins
D-Calcium Pantothenate
1.00
Folic Acid
1.00
myo-Inositol
2.00
Nicotinamide
1.00
Pyridoxal HCl
1.00
Riboflavin
0.10
Thiamine HCl
1.00
Inorganic Salts
CaCl2 2 H2O
265.00
Inorganic Salts
KCl
400.00
MgSO4
97.67
NaCl
6800.00
NaHCO3
2200.00
NaH2PO4
122.00
Other Components
D-Glucose
1000.00
Other Components
Phenol Red Sodium Salt
11.00
- A Gentle Alternative to Trypsin
Accutase is a cell detachment solution that is revolutionizing the cell culture industry. It is a mix of proteolytic and collagenolytic enzymes that mimics the action of trypsin and collagenase. Unlike trypsin, Accutase does not contain any mammalian or bacterial components and is much gentler on cells, making it an ideal solution for the routine detachment of cells from standard tissue culture plasticware and adhesion coated plasticware. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits and uses of Accutase and how it is changing the game in cell culture.
Advantages of Accutase
Accutase has several advantages over traditional trypsin solutions. Firstly, it can be used whenever gentle and efficient detachment of any adherent cell line is needed, making it a direct replacement for trypsin. Secondly, Accutase works extremely well on embryonic and neuronal stem cells, and it has been shown to maintain the viability of these cells after passaging. Thirdly, Accutase preserves most epitopes for subsequent flow cytometry analysis, making it ideal for cell surface marker analysis.
Additionally, Accutase does not need to be neutralized when passaging adherent cells. The addition of more media after the cells are split dilutes Accutase so it is no longer able to detach cells. This eliminates the need for an inactivation step and saves time for cell culture technicians. Finally, Accutase does not need to be aliquoted, and a bottle is stable in the refrigerator for 2 months.
Applications of Accutase
Accutase is a direct replacement for trypsin solution and can be used for the passaging of cell lines. Additionally, Accutase performs well when detaching cells for the analysis of many cell surface markers using flow cytometry and for cell sorting. Other downstream applications of Accutase treatment include analysis of cell surface markers, virus growth assay, cell proliferation, tumor cell migration assays, routine cell passage, production scale-up (bioreactor), and flow cytometry.
Composition of Accutase
Accutase contains no mammalian or bacterial components and is a natural enzyme mixture with proteolytic and collagenolytic enzyme activity. It is formulated at a much lower concentration than trypsin and collagenase, making it less toxic and gentler, but just as effective.
Efficiency of Accutase
Accutase has been shown to be efficient in detaching primary and stem cells and maintaining high cell viability compared to animal origin enzymes such as trypsin. 100% of cells are recovered after 10 minutes, and there is no harm in leaving cells in Accutase for up to 45 minutes, thanks to autodigestion of Accutase.
In summary
In conclusion, Accutase is a powerful solution that is changing the game in cell culture. With its gentle nature, efficiency, and versatility, Accutase is the ideal alternative to trypsin. If you are looking for a reliable and efficient solution for cell detachment, Accutase is the solution for you.
Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) is a widely used buffer solution in biological and chemical research. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the pH balance and osmolarity during various experimental procedures, including tissue processing and cell culture. Our PBS solution is meticulously formulated with high-purity ingredients to ensure stability and reliability in every experiment. The osmolarity and ion concentrations of our PBS closely mimic those of the human body, making it isotonic and non-toxic to most cells.
Composition of Our PBS Solution
Our PBS solution is a pH-adjusted blend of ultrapure-grade phosphate buffers and saline solutions. At a 1X working concentration, it contains:
8000 mg/L Sodium chloride (NaCl)
200 mg/L Potassium chloride (KCl)
1150 mg/L Sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous (Na2HPO4)
200 mg/L Potassium phosphate monobasic anhydrous (KH2PO4)
This composition ensures an optimal pH and ionic balance, suitable for a wide range of biological applications.
Applications of Our PBS Solution
Our PBS solution is ideal for various applications in biological research. Its isotonic and non-toxic properties make it suitable for substance dilution and cell container rinsing. PBS solutions containing EDTA are effective for disengaging attached and clumped cells. However, divalent metals such as zinc should not be added to PBS, as this can cause precipitation. In such cases, Good's buffers are recommended. Additionally, our PBS solution is an acceptable alternative to viral transport medium for the transport and storage of RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.
Quality Control
Sterile-filtered
Storage and Shelf Life
Store at +2°C to +25°C, protected from light.
Once opened, store at 2°C to 25°C and use within 24 months.
Shipping Conditions
Ambient temperature
Maintenance
Keep refrigerated at +2°C to +8°C in the dark. Avoid freezing and frequent warming to +37°C, as it reduces product quality.
Do not heat the medium beyond 37°C or use uncontrolled heat sources such as microwave appliances.
If only part of the medium is to be used, remove the required amount and warm it to room temperature before use.
Composition
Category
Components
Concentration (mg/L)
Salts
Potassium chloride
200
Potassium phosphate monobasic anhydrous
200
Sodium chloride
8000
Sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous
1150