Fresh Human Hepatocytes
Freshly plated human
hepatocytes are the gold standard test system for assessing the enzyme-inducing potential of a drug candidate. XenoTech has years of experience performing
GLP-compliant induction studies for hundreds of companies world-wide. Now you can receive high-quality, fresh human hepatocytes prepared by our experienced staff shipped directly to your lab.
TWO WAYS TO BE IN THE QUEUE:
Pre-order (recommended)
This approach puts you in the culture queue and first on the order fill list. By placing your order in advance, you give us the information we need to prepare cells in your preferred format when a liver is received (this could be any hour of the day, any day of the week). We will contact you before shipping your cells to confirm that you are ready to receive your order. Please provide a contact name, e-mail and phone number with your order.
Register for notificationYou will receive regular notification about the availability of fresh human hepatocytes. This approach requires that you place an order quickly once we release the product for sale. Without pre-orders to determine your plating requests at the time of hepatocyte plating, supply and selection may be limited.
Please contact our Customer Service Department at
info@xenotechllc.com. Orders can be sent by e-mail to
info@xenotechllc.com or fax to 913-227-7171.
Informed Consent Statement
A single organization regulates and oversees the use of human tissue intended for transplantation in the United States, namely the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Organ donors may elect to have their organs used either for transplantation only, or for transplantation or research. Thus, the donor (or the donor's family) has the right to prevent the use of the donor's organs for research. Regardless of the use of donated organs, no compensation is given to the donor’s family; any such compensation is illegal in the United States. In those cases where donors (or family members) elect to withhold organs from research uses, any organs that cannot be transplanted are discarded.
XenoTech receives hepatic, renal, intestinal, pulmonary, and other human tissue from various regional organ procurement organizations (OPOs) that obtain organs approved for research use. Regulations in the United States require that, regardless whether the organ is intended for transplantation or research purposes, the organ donor's identity be treated as highly confidential information. Organ procurement organizations maintain the informed consent records from each donor, and our Standard Operating Procedure requires that XenoTech personnel confirm the existence of informed consent for research purposes, prior to transport of organs to XenoTech. This procedure is intended to ensure that XenoTech manufactures human-derived products only when informed consent has been granted for research use of those specific organs. XenoTech does not, and, in consideration of confidentiality, cannot obtain the informed consent records from these organizations.
All human tissue accepted by XenoTech has been tested for the possible presence of various infectious diseases, and XenoTech does not accept human-derived material unless the donor has tested negative (non-reactive) for RPR, HIVAb, HTLVAb, HBsAg and HCVAb. All human tissue is also tested for CMVAb. However, due to the widespread (nearly ubiquitous) appearance of CMV in the population, and its relative insignificance as an infectious agent, tissues from donors reactive for CMVAb are accepted. The serology status of each donor is typically determined by ELISA by the organ procurement hospital.
XenoTech does not deal directly with - nor does it make any direct payments to - the surgeons who procure organs or the medical institutions where they work.
Caution: In the case of human tissue, XenoTech accepts only non-transplantable tissue from donors who test negative for HIV 1 and 2, HTLV, and Hepatitis B and C. However, as a precaution, all human-derived samples should be regarded as a potential biohazard and should be stored, handled and discarded accordingly. Cellular and subcellular fractions are intended for in vitro use only.
MORE QUESTIONS?-Find answers to our customers frequently asked questions
Fresh Human Hepatocytes
Is it possible to get donor information for human-derived products?
Certain demographics are available on all human donors, including sex, age, race, limited medical history (major illnesses, recent medications, etc.) and limited social history (smoking, alcohol, drug habits, etc.). Information that may reveal the identity of the donor is not available.
How do you prepare your plated hepatocytes?
First, we perfuse the tissue and isolate the cells. Percoll® centrifugation is performed to improve the cell viability. Finally, the cells are plated on collagen-coated plates. Matrigel overlay is recommended for the best results in enzyme induction experiments.
How should plated hepatocytes be handled?
Hepatocytes should be stored in a 37°C incubator as detailed below. For best results, we recommend that the cells be handled in sterile lab conditions in a biological safety hood, using universal biohazard precautions. Here is a list of things that you should have before you receive fresh human hepatocytes.
Personal protective equipment (gloves, lab coat, protective eyewear)
Biological safety cabinet
Aspirating device (i.e. pipettor, vacuum aspirator)
Incubator (95% humidity, 5% CO2, 37°C)
Refrigerator or equivalent storage chamber (2-8°C)
Prototypical inducers and DMSO
Hepatocyte Culture Media (XenoTech Product Number K2300 is recommended)
What are prototypical inducers?
The table below summarizes our recommended conditions to measure CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 in microsomes prepared from cultured human hepatocytes. Other prototypical inducers are referenced in "Effects of prototypical microsomal enzyme inducers on cytochrome P450 expression in cultured human hepatocytes" Madan et al, Drug Metab Dispos, 31: 421-431, 2003.
Enzyme |
Prototypical Inducer (concentration) § |
Marker Substrate (concentration) § |
Optimized Incubation Time §§ |
CYP1A2 |
Omeprazole (100 µM) |
Phenacetin (80 µM) |
30 minutes |
CYP3A4 |
Rifampin (10 µM) |
Testosterone (250 µM) |
10 minutes |
§ Concentration refers to the final concentration in the incubation.
§§ Optimized incubation times are based on experiments performed at XenoTech to ensure that metabolite formation is measured while it is proportional with reaction time and when the fold induction is maximized (under the specified conditions).
How are fresh human hepatocytes shipped?
The hepatocytes are shipped via express courier in an insulated box to maintain moderate temperatures. We are able to use a variety of shipping companies. FedEx is our default shipping agent, and the most economical. Same-day couriers are available at your request--please indicate on your order if you prefer this option.
Why should I place a pre-order?
Since collagen-coated plates are prepared in advance of tissue receipt, pre-orders allow our on-call team to know how many plates and which multi-well format to prepare so they are ready when a liver is received. We will confirm all orders and ask you to authorize the order fulfillment before we ship the order; you will not be billed for any plates unless you agree to receive the cells.
Do I have to pre-pay if I place a pre-order?
No. Pre-ordering helps us plan our plate preparation. You only pay for the cells you agree to receive.
I'm going on vacation--what happens if I'm not here when you call?
We won't ship to you unless you authorize it (or appoint another person in your department to be the contact while you are out). If we can't reach anyone, or if the shipment is refused, the plates will be queued for placement to other customers on our registered notification list. We will keep your pre-order on file for the next order unless you tell us to cancel it.
Why might quantities be limited if I don't pre-order?
Pre-orders communicate plate format and quantity for each customer up-front, which provides us the necessary information on how to manage the liver for product orders when it arrives. Add-on orders will be filled based on product availability after pre-orders are satisfied.
Order Fax: 913.227.7171
Order E-mail: info@xenotechllc.com
Call 877.588.7530 (toll-free US and Canada) for pricing and availability.
If ordering outside of North America, please see our Distributor information.