The middle ear is composed of three auditory ossicles (incus, malleus, and stapes), the tympanic membrane, and the Eustachian tube. The middle ear functions to transfer acoustic energy from the tympanic membrane to the cochlea. Middle Ear Epithelial Cells (MEEpiC) play an important role in homeostasis and sterility of the middle ear. Abnormalities associated with MEEpiC can lead to the development of middle ear disorders such as otitis media and cholesteatoma. Evidence indicates that epithelial cell proliferation is the underlying cause of cholesteatoma. Recent studies also suggest that the abnormal epithelial cell proliferation may be linked to inflammatory factors produced by middle ear fibroblasts. Human MEEpiC (HMEEpiC) are a useful in vitro model for studying middle ear diseases and may be used to identify new therapeutic targets for otitis media and cholesteatoma.

HMEEpiC from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from human middle ear. HMEEpiC are cryopreserved at passage one and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 10⁵  cells in 1 ml volume. HMEEpiC are characterized by immunofluorescence with antibodies specific to cytokeratin-18 and cytokeratin-19. HMEEpiC are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. HMEEpiC are guaranteed to further expand for 15 population doublings under the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories.

Recommended Medium

It is recommended to use Epithelial Cell Medium-2 (EpiCM-2 #4121) for culturing HMEEpiC in vitro.