Cell to Cell Signaling and Depression

ATP and Your Brain
A recent article in Molecular Psychiatrydoi:10.1038/mp.2017.229 elucidates the role of ATP and Neuron-Glial interactions in depression.

This study also features the use of our excellent GFAP markers

Abstract: Extracellular ATP is a widespread cell-to-cell signaling molecule in the brain, where it functions as a neuromodulator by activating glia and neurons. Although ATP exerts multiple effects on synaptic plasticity and neuro-glia interactions, as well as in mood disorders, the source and regulation of ATP release remain to be elaborated. Here, we define Calhm2 as an ATP-releasing channel protein based on in vitro and in vivo models. Conventional knockout and conditional astrocyte knockout of Calhm2 both lead to significantly reduced ATP concentrations, loss of hippocampal spine number, neural dysfunction and depression-like behaviors in mice, which can be significantly rescued by ATP replenishment. Our findings identify Calhm2 as a critical ATP-releasing channel that modulates neural activity and as a potential risk factor of depression.

Big Thank You!

Big Year
We exceeded our goals for 2017. By a lot. Both in sales and new products.

I would like to personally thank our customers, collaborators, and friends for making this happen. You made it happen.

I wish Joy to you in 2018!

I wish you exciting, new discoveries, and adventures.

Pete Shuster, CEO and Owner, Neuromics.

Coming Soon Hepatocytes and CSCS

Differentiated from iPSCs

Neuromics is partnering with Javeen Biosciences to bring you Cancer Stem Cells and Hepatocytes derived from donor Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Rodney Nash, Javeen CEO, and his team are working to fill a major gap in cell-based drug discoveries. The lack of cells from specific diseased or ethnic populations. This limits the ability to predict how well a drug candidate will work with a diverse population of patients.

Dr. Rodney Nash, CEO, Javeen Biosciences

Over time, we envision Javeen Biosciences as having the ability to engineer cells from donors that match tightly with the needs of drug hunters.

We ask you to "Think of 8". This video illustrates the power Javeen Biosciences' solutions

Much more to follow...

Need Cells? Contest is Now Live

It's Easy! 
Creatively insert your favorite human cell culture(s) anywhere into a picture of your lab for $25 Amazon Gift Card. To enter, email the picture to rose@neuromics.com with a description of the image that includes your name, the lab name and the type of cells being cultured.
First 100 entries are eligible for the gift card.

Grand prize is $500 Visa Gift Card. Only entries that include the culture of Neuromics cells will be eligible for the grand prize.

• Official Contest Rules: 
• Only one entry per lab. 
• The first 100 entries are eligible. 
• Cells cultured do not have to be Neuromics cells to be eligible for Amazon gift card. 
• All images should be original work – you should not distribute, or reproduce in any way any copyrighted material, trademarks, or other proprietary information without obtaining the prior written consent of the owner of such rights. 
• By entering this competition, entrants agree that Neuromics can publicize their name, their lab and their entry. 
• Entries will be posted on Neuromics’ web page, social media channels and other promotional communications. 
• All submissions become the sole property of Neuromics and will not be returned to the applicant. Prize restrictions may apply to certain individuals based on their institution’s respective policies; based on this, Neuromics reserves the right to decline a prize to ineligible individuals. 
• Neuromics reserves the right to make any determinations about prizes, disqualifications, and other concerns as issues arise. 
• Neuromics reserves the right to amend or withdraw the contest at any time.

Enjoy and good luck!

Need Cells? Contest

We're live; Be Creative
We are offering a $25 Amazon Gift Card to scientists who creatively places images their favorite cell cultures anywhere in a picture of their lab AND if the picture has images of our human cells, you could win a $500 VISA card.

Here's a link to learn more about our Need Cells Contest.

Please email your picture to rose@neuromics.com and we will email you a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Coming Soon-Need Cells? Contest

Creativity Rewarded
We are revving up another contest as our Neuromics Brain Adventure was successful and wow, were people creative.

We are expert at finding human primary and stem cells so cell cultures are central to the contest. Rules are simple. Affix an image of your favorite cell culture anywhere in your lab and we will email you a $25 Amazon gift card.

The contest will run for 3 months and the most creative entry will receive a $500 Visa Gift Card.

Simply e-mail your entry to rose@neuromics.com and we will email back the gift card. Multiple entries encouraged.

More FBS Data!

Cells+Media Supplemented with our FBS!

We continue to be pleased with the cell culture images our customers are sharing with us-https://www.neuromics.com/fbs-data

Neurons are notoriously hard to culture. Here're images of Mouse Neurons cultured in media supplemented with our FBS.

Images: Mouse cortical neurons in culture, using Neuromics heat-inactivated FBS (in plating media for two days). Data courtesy of Dr. Saif at Barrow Neurological Institute.

We continue to offer $50 Amazon Gift Card in return for data you share using any of our solutions. Just email the data to Rose Ludescher, Manager of Customer Satisfaction, rose@neuromics.com and she will email you the gift card.

3-D Retina Organoid Challenge

Proud Sponsor
The National Eye Institute has its sights set on stimulating researchers to move rapidly toward treatments for retinal diseases. We need your scientific expertise: compete in a Challenge to develop a physiologically-competent 3-D retina organoid model.

Check us out on their Sponsor's Page.

More Neuromics' FBS Related Data

Cells Cultured in Media Supplemented with our FBS
Customers continue submitting data. Here's the latest:

Primary mouse vascular smooth muscle cells stained with smooth muscle alpha-actin in DMEM with Neuromics 10% FBS. Image courtesy of Deng-Fu Guo, University of Iowa.

HEK Cells Grown in Neuromics FBS. Image courtesy of Kavita Shah, Purdue University.

We will continue be posting new FBS related data here.

Neuromics' FGF-2 for Expanding Human Cells

FGF-2 and Fibrochondrocytes

FGF-2 of FGF-basic is an important a growth factor for many cell-based assays. Neuromics' has rock solid FGFs for supplementing media used to grow cells. Check out publications referencing use of FGF-2.

Here's the latest publication: Yan Liang, Enaam Idrees, Stephen H. J. Andrews, Kirollos Labib, Alexander Szojka, Melanie Kunze, Andrea D. Burbank, Aillette Mulet-Sierra, Nadr M. Jomha & Adetola B. Adesida. Plasticity of Human Meniscus Fibrochondrocytes: A Study on Effects of Mitotic Divisions and Oxygen Tension. Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 12148 (2017) doi:10.1038/s41598-017-12096-x. ...Thereafter the number of viable MFCs were counted using a haemacytometer after trypan blue staining. MFCs were plated at 104 cells/cm2 and cultured in the standard medium described above supplemented with FGF-2 (5 ng/mL; Neuromics, MN, USA, Catalog#: PR80001) and TGFβ1 (1 ng/mL; ProSpec, NJ, USA, Catalog#: cyt-716) under normal oxygen tension (21% O2) at 37 °C in a humidified incubator...

Images: Immunofluorescence analysis of collagen I and collagen II in pellets derived from T1F2-expanded MFCs of four passages after 21 days chondrogenic stimulation under NRX or HYP from one representative donor (male, 20 years old). Blue (DAPI): cells, Red (Texas Red): collagen I, Green (FITC): collagen II. (A) Pellets cultured under NRX, (B) Pellets cultured under HYP from four passages. Scale bar: 100 µm

Our ISO-Kine FGF-2 is especially potent as it virtually endotoxin free.

i-Fect Delivers Plasmids!

Important for Gene Expression Studies.
I have posted many examples of how our customers use i-Fect^TM  and other Transfection Solutions for Gene Manipulation Studies. There are also many publications.

Here we feature how i-Fect was used to delivery plasmids to the CNS: Sara Elramah, María José López-González, Matthieu Bastide, Florence Dixmérias, Olivier Roca-Lapirot, Anne-Cécile Wielanek-Bachelet, Anne Vital, Thierry Leste-Lasserre, Alexandre Brochard, Marc Landry & Alexandre Favereaux. Spinal miRNA-124 regulates synaptopodin and nociception in an animal model of bone cancer pain. Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 10949 (2017) doi:10.1038/s41598-017-10224-1...Intrathecal administration of miRNAs and ShRNA To over-express miR-124, we cloned the pre-miRNA sequence of miR-124 into a plasmid. To determine cells expressing this miR-124 encoding plasmid, we added a GFP-coding sequence to the construct under the control of an IRES. Thus, miR-124 over-expressing cells also express GFP. To inhibit synaptopodin expression, we cloned a ShRNA sequence directed against synaptopodin into a plasmid. To determine cells expressing this ShRNA, we added a GFP-coding sequence to the construct under the control of an IRES. Thus, ShRNA expressing cells also expressed GFP. Two micrograms of these plasmids or the corresponding controls, were solubilized in 10 µl of i-Fect reagent (Neuromics, Edina, USA), and injected intrathecally between the L5 and L6 lumbar vertebrae every two days for a total of 3 injections, according to the manufacturer’s instructions and previously published experiments...

Figures: (C and D) Immunostaining of synpo in spinal cord after miR-124 intrathecal injections: only the dorsal horn which receive nociceptive information was quantified (white dash area). Measurement of synaptopodin stained area reveals ability of miR-124 to inhibit endogenous Synpo expression (20/3 and 17/3 denotes number of sections/animals for control and miR-124-injected mice, respectively.

I am confident there will be many more positive reports regarding our Transfection Reagents.

Dynamics of Stem Cell Differentiation

Differentiation Markers
Neuromics has excellent markers for determining stem cell differentiation.

This new publication references use of our OTX2 marker: Sumin Jang, Sandeep Choubey, Leon Furchtgott, Ling-Nan Zou, Adele Doyle, Vilas Menon, Ethan B Loew, Anne-Rachel Krostag, Refugio A Martinez, Linda Madisen, Boaz P Levi, Sharad Ramanathan. Dynamics of embryonic stem cell differentiation inferred from single-cell transcriptomics show a series of transitions through discrete cell states. eLife 2017;6:e20487. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20487

Figures: Single-Cell Gene Expression Profiling of mESCs during early germ layer differentiation. (A) Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) were exposed to various differentiation conditions to perturb FGF, WNT, and TGF-beta signaling for up to five days of differentiation. (B) Images of immunostained mESCs undergoing differentiation show cell-to-cell variability in their expression of known germ layer marker genes. (Scale bar = 100 μm).

We will continue to post new developments.

Neuronal Markers

New Pub References 3 Markers
We are recognized for our large catalog of neuronal markers. Our strength, in this area, includes markers designed for pain researchers.

They are widely used and frequently published. This new publication references use of our Guinea Pig Substance P, Guinea Pig PGP9.5 and Chicken NF200 of NF-Heavy. andla, Jagadeesha, Lomada, Santosh Kumara, Jianninga; Kuner, Rohinia, Bali, Kiran Kumar. miR-34c-5p functions as pronociceptive microRNA in cancer pain by targeting Cav2.3 containing calcium channels. Pain: September 2017 - Volume 158 - Issue 9 - p 1765–1779 doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000971.

Neuromics' PGP9.5 Staining of  Mouse DRGs.

.Neuromics SP and NF200 Staining of Mouse DRGSs

FBS Works Great for Cell Lines

More Customer Data
We are pleased with the continuing stream of positive feedback on our potent FBS. This includes its supplementing media for cell lines.

Here is an image courtesy of  Kavita Shah of Purdue University.

Image: HEK Cells cultured in Media Supplemented with Neuromics' FBS

We offer the best price anywhere. We will beat all competitive pricing. If you are interested, contact Rose Ludescher, Manager of Customer Satisfaction. email: rose@neuromics.com.

Data Trifecta-Cells, Media + FBS

Optimizing your Cell-Based Assays
Researchers need solid proof that the solutions the use will work in their assays. Given the time and effort it takes to culture human primary cells, it is important that the media and supplements used are optimized.

We engineer our cell media and supplements to work with our primary and stem cells. Its potency is tested every day in our cell cultures.

As further proof, we ask customers to share their data with us. We reward them by emailing a 50 USD Amazon gift card. I would like to recognize Emily Rodela from TGEN for sharing the Trifecta of Neuromics' CAFS grown in MSC-Gro Media supplemented with our FBS.

Image: Human CAFS-Pancreatic Stellates cultured in MSCGro™ supplemented with Neuromics' FBS - Fetal Bovine Serum. Courtesy of Emily Rodela, TGEN.

Neuromics' ISOKine bFGF in 3-D Cultures

Works Well in Perfusion Models

Our ISOKine^TM FGF is produced in the endosperm tissue of barley grain (Hordeum vulgare), that exhibits up to 50 times less protease activity than E.coli or mammalian cells. Barley seed is void of any human or animal viral contaminants that could jeopardize your cell culture.

It is a proven solution for all cell cultures and starts at the low price of  65 USD/10 ug.

Here's a reference of its use in 3-D Cultures: Tom Kamperman, Sieger Henke, Claas Willem Visser, Marcel Karperien, Jeroen Leijten. Centering Single Cells in Microgels via Delayed Crosslinking Supports Long-Term 3D Culture by Preventing Cell Escape. DOI: 10.1002/smll.201603711.

Figure: Delayed on-chip crosslinking enables centering of single cells in microgels. a) Fluorescence confocal imaging confirmed that delayed enzymatic crosslinking enabled centering of single MSCs in Dex-TA microgels. b) On average, cell-laden microgels were only 9 µm larger than the encapsulated MSCs, effectively resulting in 3D hydrogel coatings of less than 5 µm. c) A standard microfluidic droplet generator was connected to the H2O2 diffusion-based crosslinking chip. The position of cells (white arrows) in non-crosslinking microgel precursor droplets was analyzed d) immediately after droplet generation (t1), at the start of the crosslinking chip (t2), and e) at the end of the crosslinking chip (t3). f) Cell positions within microgels produced using conventional microfluidic encapsulation systems (i.e., with coupled emulsification and gelation) are indicated with gray (i.e., references) and red (i.e., this work) data points. Cell positions within gel precursor droplets along the modular microfluidic setup are indicated with blue data points. Cell positions within delayed enzymatically crosslinked microgels are indicated with green data points. g) Cell position analyses of various combinations of distinct hydrogel materials (i.e., Dex-TA, Dex-HA-TA, PEGDA), cell types (i.e., MIN6, MSC), and crosslinking methods (i.e., enzyme-based and photo-crosslinking), revealed that delayed crosslinking consistently resulted in significantly increased cell-centering as compared to the conventional encapsulation approach where emulsification and gelation are coupled.

If you are looking for competitively priced, animal free and potent growth factors. check out our ISOkines.

Cancer Associated Fibroblasts in Action

Publication Reference
We introduced our Cancer Associated Fibroblasts to researchers several years ago. The demand was strong from day one and continues to grow.

We are pleased to announce the first reference in a Cancer Research Publication: Zenobia D'Costa, Keaton Jones, Abul Azad, Ruud van Stiphout, Su Y Lim, Ana L Gomes, Paul Kinchesh, Sean C Smart, W. Gillies McKenna, Francesca M Buffa, Owen J. Sansom, Ruth J. Muschel, Eric O'Neill and Emmanouil Fokas. Gemcitabine-induced TIMP1 attenuates therapy response and promotes tumor growth and liver metastasis in pancreatic cancer. Published OnlineFirst August 1, 2017 doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-16-2833...Immortalized Pancreatic CAF-Stellate Cells were obtained from Neuromics, and cultured in VitroPlus III, low serum, complete (Neuromics)...

Image: Pancreatic CAF-Stellates stained with alphaSMA

We will continue to post new developments here.

Pain and Inflammation Markers

Our TRPV1 Markers Rock
As sales of our Cell Based Assay Solutions continue to explode. We don't want you to forget that our roots firmly remain in products for Inflammation and Pain Researchers.

To verify this, you only need to check out the many publications referencing use of our TRPV1 Markers.

Image: Immunoreactivity for CXCL12 was detected in the macrophages (F4/80)

Immune Response Research Solutions

Cytokine Markers and More
Immune and inflammatory response are elevated in most diseases. We have strong solutions for detecting these responses. These include cytokine markers and panels.

Here's a new pub referencing use of one of our Interleukin Markers. ArdoSabir and AndiSumidarti. Interleukin-6 expression on inflammed rat dental pulp tissue after capped with Trigona sp. propolis. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences Volume 24, Issue 5, July 2017, Pages 1034-1037. doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.12.019 ...Four rats were sacrificed at 6 h, 2 days, 4 days and 7 days respectively. The teeth and surrounding bone were resected, fixed in Bouin’s fixative for 24 h, decalcified with acetic acid/formal saline for 7 days, embedded in paraffin and sectioned serially at 6 μm thickness. The sections were stained with IL-6 monoclonal antibody (Neuromics, USA) using immunohistochemistry method and viewed by light microscopy...

Image: Interleukin-6 expression on rats dental pulp tissue. Normal dental pulp with no treatment (negative control) in groups I (A–B) and inflamed dental pulp in groups II (C–D), III (E–F), IV (G–H) and V (I–J), capped with Ethanolic Extract Propolis (EEP), Extract Flavonoid-Propolis (EFP), Extract Non-Flavonoid Propolis (ENFP), and Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), respectively. Arrows show IL-6 expression. Immunohistochemistry method, DAB chromogen, original magnification 200×.

Quality, High Titer Neuronal Markers

You Need Them; We got Them

We are recognized for both the number and quality of Neuronal Markers. Check out our many testimonials from satisfied customers.

Here's a sampling of recent publications.

Elisabet Garcia-Pino, Nikodemus Gessele and Ursula Koch. Enhanced Excitatory Connectivity and Disturbed Sound Processing in the Auditory Brainstem of Fragile X Mice. Journal of Neuroscience 3 July 2017, 2310-16; doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2310-16.2017. ...chicken α-MAP2 (Neuromics; dilution 1:1000)...
Anna Lisa Gündner Claas Aiko Meyera, Stefan Aigner, Klaus Christensen, Christoph Patsch, Ravi Jagasia, Karlheinz Baumann, Marc Burcin. Generation of a homozygous GBA deletion human embryonic stem cell line. Stem Cell Research. Available online 11 July 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scr.2017.07.009 ...Neuronal differentiation marker, Ch-MAP2, 1:1000, Neuromics # CH22103 RRID:AB_2314763 ....Immunocytochemistry. Cells were cultured on PO/LAM coated 96-well imaging microplates (Falcon) and fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde (15 min, room temperature). Fixed cells were permeabilized with 0.2% Triton (Sigma) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) for 30 min and blocked for 1 h with PBS + 5% donkey serum (Merck Millipore). Primary antibodies (in PBS) were incubated overnight at 4 °C followed by three PBS washing steps. Secondary antibodies were incubated for 2 h at room temperature. Confocal images were acquired using a Leica TCS SP5 microscope (Leica Microsystems)....
Hayk Harutyunyan, Svetlana Sharoyan, Alvard Antonyan, Sona Mardanyan. Herb Preparations Improve the Viability of Hippocampal Cells Suppressed by Amyloid Beta (1-42) Peptide. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2017. ISSN (Online): 2321-3086......Antibodies for immunocytochemistry were purchased from Neuromics (USA)[....]Immunocytochemistry: Hippocampal cells were cultured in Poly-D-Lysine coated Nunc EasY Flasks. On the 4th day, the adhered cells were removed by trypsinisation (0.05% trypsin, 0.5 mM EDTA, pH 8.0). Cells were fixed on microscope slide by 3.7 % paraformaldehyde in PBS followed by methanol treatment. To block a nonspecific antibody binding, samples were pre-treated with goat serum (Sigma) for 30 minutes. To determine the types of cells, constituting the obtained cell culture, the different aliquots of the culture were incubated for 60 min at room temperature with the primary antibodies against rabbit anti-rat Neurofilament (NF), chicken anti-rat GFAP and Nestin...

Images: Cells grown from adult rat brainLarge cell in middle is stained with mouse monoclonal to NF-L clone DA2 (green). Another type of neuronal lineage cell was stained with rabbit polyclonal to alpha-internexin (red). These cells were mitotic but had several characteristics of neurons. Rat spinal cord homogenate showing the major intermediate filament proteins of the nervous system (lane 1). The remaining lanes show blots of this material stainted with various antibodies including: NF-H, NF-M,, NF-L,, NF66 and GFAP 

We will continue to post the latest and greatest news.