Skip to main content

What is a Basement Membrane Extract or Extracellular Matrix?

Cultrex Basement Membrane Extracts (BME) are solubilized extracellular matrices (ECM) purified from the Englebreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) murine tumor and are rich in extracellular matrix proteins, such as laminin, collagen IV, entactin, and heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Polymerizing at 37 °C, they provide structural support for cells, plus play an important role in establishing tissue organization by influencing cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Basement membranes are used to promote and maintain a differentiated phenotype in endothelial cells, epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, glandular cells, and neurons, and are also used for angiogenesis assays, cell invasion assays, neurite outgrowth assays, and in vivo tumorigenicity assays. Multiple different formats of Cultrex Basement Membrane Extract have been qualified for specific 2-D and 3-D cell culture applications. Most formulations are also available with reduced growth factor content and with or without phenol red. Purified extracellular matrix proteins are also available.

Experience the Quality of Cultrex Before You Buy!

Discover your new favorite matrix today! Experience how Cultrex Basement Membrane Extracts can enhance the performance of your cell cultures. 

Choose Cultrex: An Extracellular Matrix That Prioritizes Quality

When you choose Cultrex BME matrices, you are choosing a quality reagent. Being able to trust in the efficacy of your starting materials gives your experiments the best chance of success. Cultrex's rigorous quality testing enables you to obtain results that are dependable, representative, and consistent. See the data examples below and have confidence when you choose Cultrex as your cellular matrix.

Plot shows consistently low endotoxin levels and high protein concentrations across 20 lots of Cultrex UltiMatrix.

 

Consistent Endotoxin Levels and Protein Concentrations

 

This graph shows consistently low levels of endotoxin across 20 lots of Cultrex UltiMatrix. The graph also demonstrates the consistency of protein concentration from lot to lot, highlighting the product's ability to maintain higher, constant protein levels. Cultrex UltiMatrix is designed to provide consistent protein concentration for reliable experimental outcomes.

UltiMatrix displays consistent gelling rates and high tensile strength compared to competitor ECM.

 

 

 

Cultrex UltiMatrix Displays Optimized Tensile Strength in 3D Culture Applications

 

Cultrex UltiMatrix displays consistent gelling rates and tensile strength (storage modulus) compared to competitor ECM.

SDS-PAGE shows that protein composition is consistent across lots when compared with competitors.

 

Protein Composition is Consistent Across Lots

 

Entactin, Laminin, and Collagen are the three major ECM components of Cultrex UltiMatrix, at 13.3%, 38.8%, and 44.6%, respectively. Samples were run using a WES 66-440 KDa 25 capillary cartridge separation module.​ Expression of component proteins is more consistent across lots compared with competitors.

 

Customer Success Stories

 

Featured Products and Promotions

Ribon structure of Recombinant Human SCF Protein

Proteins for Organoid Culture

Enhance your research outcomes by designing tailor-made culture conditions with the addition of carefully selected cytokines and growth factors.

iPSC rendering shows round cell with long cytoplasmic tails

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC)

iPSCs possess the remarkable ability to differentiate and consequently can provide a foundation for many types of research. ExCellerate™ iPSC Expansion Media readily functions alongside Cultrex ECMs to support robust expansion and maintenance of iPSCs.

Stick and ball model of small molecule rock inhibitors

Small Molecules

Stem cell proliferation and differentiation are controlled by signaling pathways and mechanisms that can be readily manipulated with small molecules, whether alone or in combination with growth factors.

ECM Resources