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Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection Kit
Transfection of HCASMC with a GFP-expression plasmid using the Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection Kit.

Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection Kit

The Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection Kit is specifically optimized for transfection of primary smooth muscle cells in one complete system containing the reagents and media required for plasmid DNA delivery and cell culture.

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Description

CAI Box Total Kit

The Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection Kit is specifically optimized for transfection of primary cells in one complete system containing the reagents and media required for plasmid DNA delivery and cell culture. Many commercially available transfection systems are initially optimized using immortalized cell lines, whereas primary smooth muscle cells may be more sensitive to delivery reagents and more difficult to transfect while retaining their differentiated phenotype. The Cytofect™ system is designed to support plasmid DNA delivery and cell viability in cultured primary smooth muscle cell models.

Smooth muscle cells, or SMCs, are contractile cells found in the walls of blood vessels and hollow organs. Vascular smooth muscle cells are located primarily in the tunica media of arteries, arterioles, and veins, where they regulate vessel diameter, blood pressure, and blood flow throughout the vascular bed. Other smooth muscle populations occur in the airways, gastrointestinal tract, urinary system, and reproductive organs. Within the cardiovascular system, vascular SMCs help maintain vessel structure and respond to mechanical and biochemical signals, including stretch, inflammatory mediators, and changes in blood flow.

In their differentiated state, vascular SMCs perform a primarily contractile function and express proteins that support contraction and relaxation. In response to vascular injury, inflammation, hypoxia, diabetes, or altered mechanical forces, they can undergo phenotypic modulation toward more migratory, proliferative, and synthetic states. During this process, SMCs may alter their production and organization of extracellular matrix (ECM), contribute to vascular remodeling, and participate in conditions including atherosclerosis, vascular calcification, pulmonary hypertension, vasculopathies, arterial disease, vascular occlusion, and stroke-related vascular pathology.

The Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection Kit is a plasmid DNA delivery system containing Cytofect-2, Enhancer, transfection medium, and antibiotic-free growth medium. The Enhancer is an endosomolytic peptide that complexes with DNA and Cytofect-2 to facilitate intracellular delivery. The kit can be used to introduce plasmid DNA into primary smooth muscle cells for research involving gene function, gene regulation, protein expression, reporter assays, cell signaling, proliferation, migration, contractility, and ECM remodeling. Typically 40–90% transfection efficiency and 80–95% viability for smooth muscle cell models are obtained using the protocols under tested conditions; actual results may vary according to cell source, passage number, plasmid, and experimental parameters.

The kit is intended for use with primary human vascular SMC models, including Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells (HAOSMC), Human Brachiocephalic Artery Smooth Muscle Cells (HBcASMC), Human Carotid Artery Smooth Muscle Cells (HCtASMC), Human Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells (HCASMC), Human Internal Thoracic Artery Smooth Muscle Cells (HITASMC), Human Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells (HPASMC), Human Subclavian Artery Smooth Muscle Cells (HScASMC), Human Umbilical Artery Smooth Muscle Cells (HUASMC), and Human Umbilical Vein Smooth Muscle Cells (HUVSMC). These models enable investigation of site-specific SMC responses across arterial and venous tissues.

By enabling plasmid DNA delivery into relevant primary cells, the Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection Kit can support studies of vascular remodeling, SMC hypertrophy, contractile and synthetic phenotypes, vascular calcification, atherosclerotic signaling, diabetes-associated vascular dysfunction, and vasculopathies. Transfected cells may also be incorporated into in vitro research systems, including microfluidic vascular models, engineered blood-vessel constructs, and studies of stent materials, stent coatings, and vascular grafts. These applications can help researchers examine how candidate genes and regulatory pathways influence arterial disease, vascular occlusion, and cardiovascular mechanisms in physiologically relevant primary-cell models.

Cytofect™ Transfection Kits are specifically optimized for transfecting primary cells in one complete, affordable system. In contrast to systems initially optimized using immortalized cell lines, the Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection Kit is designed to support plasmid DNA transfection of traditionally difficult-to-transfect primary smooth muscle cells, with reported viability suitable for downstream studies of vascular biology, gene regulation, contractility, remodeling, and disease mechanisms.

Transfection, the introduction of nucleic acid into mammalian cells, is a powerful technique used to study in vivo gene function and regulation.  The Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection kit is a plasmid DNA delivery system specifically optimized to deliver DNA into a wide variety of smooth muscle cells. This kit contains Cytofect-2 and Media for transfection and culturing cells.  The result has been high transfection efficiency and viability for these traditionally hard-to-transfect cells.

#Wells / Rxns

96 / 500

24 / 125

12 / 62

Cytofect™ Smooth Muscle Cell Transfection Kit contains all the necessary reagents and media for transfection. Optimized transfection protocols are provided with the kit to carry out successful transfection of the following smooth muscle cells with high efficiency (40%-90%) and viability (80%-95%):

Products are for research use only. They are not intended for human, animal, or diagnostic applications. CF1 is manufactured by Targeting Systems.

Details

Kit Contents:
Cytofect -2
Antibiotics-Free Growth Medium
Transfection Medium
Designed to improve transfection efficiency and cell viability, Cytofect is a plasmid DNA delivery system containing Cytofect-2, Enhancer and Media for transfecting and culturing cells. The Enhancer is an endosomolytic peptide that complexes with DNA and Cytofect-2, then escorts the transfection complex to the nucleus. The results are high transfection efficiency and viability for traditionally hard-to-transfect cells.
Instructions TF350K

Format: PDF

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Instructions TF350KS

Format: PDF

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FAQs

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Cytofect™ Transfection Reagents: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Need More Help?

Visit our comprehensive FAQ page for detailed answers to common questions.

Cytofect™ Transfection Reagents: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Citations

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