What is Cell Culture ?
Cell culture is the process by which cells are grown under controlled conditions, generally outside their natural environment. Cells can subsequently be maintained under carefully controlled conditions.
What is Cell Co-Culture?
Cell Co-Culture is basically defined as having cellular growths of two or more distinct cell types which are sharing liquid media/growth factors. Another definition is to grow 2 kids of cells or 2 kinds of tissues together.
There are two types of Co-Cultures, one is the direct contact of distinct cell types and the other is the indirect contact of distinct cell types. Co-Culture container for indirect contact is called “transwell type” or “cell culture insert” (old style). Every type of “transwell type” vessel for indirect contact is connected vertically and similar structure (with poor design for proper experimentation).
Why is the Co-Culture needed?
It is well known that cell to cell contact can engage cellular stimulation, turn on/off gene pathways and/or cellular differentiation, etc. Similarly, indirect contact (cell to cell communication) is known to also have very important effects (cellular stimulation, turn on/off gene pathways and/or cellular differentiation). Major players of indirect effects are hormones, cytokines, exosomes, etc.
Co-Culture method was developed to identify the effects and the elements/molecules involved with cell to cell interactions.
The Cell culture vessel with the insert submerged in the culture well was used for many years. It was method to share culture fluids at the top (on the insert) and bottom (on the bottom dish) in cell-cell interaction studies and it is called “transwell” style or “cell-culture insert” type.
Our product ICCP is a new and innovative product technology which replaces the old “transwell” style!
ICCP is connected horizontally which conveys many advantages described on other pages.
