U251 MG/TMZ Cells

Name: CLS Cell Lines Service GmbH
Address: Dr.-Eckener-Straße 8, Eppelheim, 69214, DE
Telephone: +496221405780
Price range: €€€

USD$1,200.00*

Products are shipped frozen on dry ice in cryotubes. Each cryotube typically contains 3 × 10⁶ cells for adherent lines or 5 × 10⁶ cells for suspension lines (refer to the batch CoA for details).

Prices excl. taxes plus shipping costs

cryovial

Product number: 305884

Safety data sheet

Product sheet

Certificate of Analysis (CoA)

Description	U251 MG/TMZ is a temozolomide-resistant derivative of the human glioblastoma cell line U251 MG. The parental U251 MG line was established from the malignant glioma of an adult patient and is widely used as a model of high-grade astrocytic tumors. U251 MG/TMZ cells are generated through stepwise, long-term exposure of parental U251 MG cells to increasing concentrations of temozolomide (TMZ), the standard alkylating chemotherapeutic agent used in glioblastoma treatment. This selection process results in a stable phenotype characterized by significantly reduced sensitivity to TMZ-induced cytotoxicity compared to the parental line. Mechanistically, TMZ resistance in U251 MG/TMZ cells is commonly associated with upregulation of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), enhanced DNA damage repair capacity, alterations in mismatch repair pathways, and activation of pro-survival signaling cascades. Resistant cells frequently exhibit reduced apoptosis following TMZ exposure, with decreased caspase activation and attenuated mitochondrial pathway engagement. Additional molecular adaptations may include dysregulation of PI3K/AKT, MAPK, NF-κB, or STAT3 signaling pathways, as well as altered expression of drug transporters and stemness-associated markers, depending on the selection protocol used. U251 MG/TMZ cells maintain adherent growth with astrocytic morphology similar to the parental line but demonstrate higher TMZ IC50 values and sustained proliferation under drug pressure. This model is widely used to investigate mechanisms of acquired chemoresistance, identify biomarkers predictive of therapeutic response, and evaluate novel combinatorial strategies aimed at overcoming TMZ resistance. As such, U251 MG/TMZ provides a clinically relevant in vitro platform for studying treatment failure and therapeutic vulnerability in glioblastoma.
Organism	Human
Tissue	Brain
Disease	Astrocytoma
Synonyms	U-251MG, U-251-MG, U-251_MG, U251-MG, U251MG, U-251, U251, U251n, U251N, 251 MG, 251MG

Age	75 years
Gender	Male
Ethnicity	Caucasian
Morphology	Epithelial-like
Growth properties	Adherent

Citation	U251 MG/TMZ (Cytion catalog number 305884)
Biosafety level	1
NCBI_TaxID	9606

Tumorigenic	SMRV: Negative, as confirmed by Real-Time PCR
Mutational profile	TMZ-resistant

Culture Medium	DMEM, w: 4.5 g/L Glucose, w: 4 mM L-Glutamine, w: 3.7 g/L NaHCO3, w: 1.0 mM Sodium pyruvate (Cytion article number 820300a)
Supplements	Supplement the medium with 10% FBS and 50 µM Temozolomid (TMZ)
Dissociation Reagent	Accutase
Freeze medium	As a cryopreservation medium, we use complete growth medium + 10% DMSO for adequate post-thaw viability.
Thawing and Culturing Cells	Confirm that the vial remains deeply frozen upon delivery, as cells are shipped on dry ice to maintain optimal temperatures during transit. Upon receipt, either store the cryovial immediately at temperatures below -150°C to ensure the preservation of cellular integrity, or proceed to step 3 if immediate culturing is required. For immediate culturing, swiftly thaw the vial by immersing it in a 37°C water bath with clean water and an antimicrobial agent, agitating gently for 40-60 seconds until a small ice clump remains. Perform all subsequent steps under sterile conditions in a flow hood, disinfecting the cryovial with 70% ethanol before opening. Carefully open the disinfected vial and transfer the cell suspension into a 15 ml centrifuge tube containing 8 ml of room-temperature culture medium, mixing gently. Centrifuge the mixture at 200 x g for 5 minutes, carefully discard the supernatant containing freezing medium. Follow the procedure described under Post-Thaw Recovery
Incubation Atmosphere	37°C, 5% CO₂, humidified atmosphere.
Shipping Conditions	Cryopreserved cell lines are shipped on dry ice in validated, insulated packaging with sufficient refrigerant to maintain approximately −78 °C throughout transit. On receipt, inspect the container immediately and transfer vials without delay to appropriate storage.
Storage Conditions	For long-term preservation, place vials in vapor-phase liquid nitrogen at about −150 to −196 °C. Storage at −80 °C is acceptable only as a short interim step before transfer to liquid nitrogen.

Lot Number	Certificate Type	Date	Catalog Number
305884-241125	Certificate of Analysis	15. Jan. 2026	305884

U251 MG/TMZ Cells

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Certificate of Analysis (CoA)