A Brief Overview of Human Primary Cells

Human Primary Cells

Human primary cells are those that have been obtained directly from the healthy or pathological in vivo tissue of a human subject through a mechanical or enzymatic process. They are distinct from animal primary cells, which are commonly taken from rats, mice, dogs, horses, or pigs; and immortalized cell lines, which, through spontaneous mutation or deliberate modification, can be passaged in vitro indefinitely.

These primary cells are widely used in biochemistry research to study metabolic processes, cell signaling, and related physiological phenomena. They can be isolated from many kinds of tissues, including those in the skin, blood, kidneys, bone marrow, musculoskeletal system, and cardiovascular system.

 

In their utility for various research applications, human primary cells share much in common with immortalized cell lines. Unlike cell lines, however, primary cells have a limited lifespan. Yet human primary cells also confer several research advantages that cell lines cannot match. Therefore, it is important for researchers to understand the unique traits and capabilities of human primary cells.

 

Types of Human Primary Cells

Isolated human primary cells must be put in an environment that can support their successful proliferation. The type of environment used for this purpose depends on the kind of primary cell that was isolated. Human primary cells can be classified into one of two categories:

 

  • Adherent– Also known as anchorage-dependent cells, these must be cultured on a substrate that permits cell adhesion. Most human primary cells fall into this category. The growth of these cells is necessarily limited by the area of the adherent surface.
  • Suspension– Also known as anchorage-independent cells, these are suspended in some type of liquid medium. The medium must be continuously agitated (e.g., stirred) to ensure proper cell growth. They tend to produce higher yields than adherent cells.

 

adherent cells vs suspension cells

 

Both types of cells require optimal environmental conditions and careful maintenance.

 

Human Primary Cells Vs. Immortalized Cell Lines

Immortalized cell lines remain widely preferred in biochemical research, owing to their cost-effectiveness, longevity, and ease of use. However, they do have limitations that are not shared by primary cells.

 

Because primary cells are taken directly from a human donor, they retain morphological characteristics that can provide researchers with key insights into specific demographic groups. In other words, human primary cell cultures allow researchers to study the characteristics of the donor—their age, medical conditions, and other information—in addition to the characteristics of the donor’s cells. By contrast, the modifications that immortalized cell lines undergo gradually rob them of this physiological relevance, making them relatively uncharacteristic of cells as they exist in vivo.

 

For instance, researchers involved in testing experimental drugs can use primary cells to analyze a drug’s efficacy when administered to certain groups of people. That’s a benefit cell lines cannot provide.

 

Furthermore, human primary cell cultures are also better suited than cell lines for tracing the progression of disease in affected cells.

 

AcceGen offers over 720 different lots of human primary cells, isolated from the nervous, endocrine, digestive, urinary, blood, immune, respiratory, and reproductive systems of healthy and diseased individuals. Please visit our website for more information about our cryopreserved human primary cells.

 

About AcceGen

Founded in 2016, AcceGen is a biotechnological company that develops and distributes cell and genomic research solutions for use by private researchers and organizations in the fields of biotech, pharmaceutics, cell biology, and specialty ingredients. AcceGen’s biotech resources include a wide variety of stem cells, human primary cells, immortalized cell lines, transfection stable cell lines, nucleic acid kits, agomir/antagomir synthesis services, and other solutions. AcceGen is based out of Fairfield, New Jersey.

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