U87MG-RFP

U-87 MG-RFP cells are a fluorescently labeled variant of the human glioblastoma astrocytoma cell line U-87 MG, which was originally derived from a malignant glioma tumor of an adult patient. The parental U-87 MG line is widely used as an in vitro model for glioblastoma due to its well-characterized growth properties, tumorigenic potential, and relevance to high-grade astrocytic tumors. These cells exhibit adherent growth with epithelial-like morphology and are commonly employed to study processes such as cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and response to hypoxic conditions.

In U-87 MG-RFP cells, stable expression of red fluorescent protein (RFP) enables real-time visualization of tumor cell behavior in both in vitro and in vivo systems. This modification facilitates applications such as live-cell imaging, tumor tracking in orthotopic xenograft models, and analysis of invasive growth patterns within brain tissue. U-87 MG-RFP cells are particularly valuable for studying glioblastoma progression, tumor–microenvironment interactions, and evaluating therapeutic strategies using fluorescence-based imaging approaches.

Genetic modification: Stably modified by replication-incompetent lentiviral transduction to express a red fluorescent protein (RFP) reporter; maintained as a polyclonal population under puromycin selection (1–5 µg/mL). S1/BSL-1 containment.

37°C, 5% CO₂, humidified atmosphere.

1. Confirm that the vial remains deeply frozen upon delivery, as cells are shipped on dry ice to maintain optimal temperatures during transit.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Perform all subsequent steps under sterile conditions in a flow hood, disinfecting the cryovial with 70% ethanol before opening.

5. 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.

6. Centrifuge the mixture at 200 x g for 5 minutes, carefully discard the supernatant containing freezing medium.

7. Follow the procedure described under Post-Thaw Recovery

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.

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.

At Cytion, we stand behind the quality and viability of our products. We guarantee that our cells will be viable at the start of culture for 60 days after shipment from our facilities. We assure that all materials conform to the specifications described in the Certificate of Analysis and/or Product Sheet.

For full details, please refer to our Warranty Statement.