U-138 MG cell

What it means: Species tells you which organism this cell line originates from. Here, Human indicates the cells were derived from Human tissue.

Why it matters:

• Biological relevance: Species affects how well the model reflects the biology you want to study and which pathways or receptors are present.
• Reagent & assay compatibility: Antibody reactivity, primers/probes, reference genomes, and detection kits often need to match the species.
• Data interpretation: Baseline gene expression and drug response can differ across species, so controls and conclusions should be species-appropriate.

How to interpret here: The Human value confirms the species background for this line. Pair it with species-matched controls and verify cell identity/QC (e.g., authentication and mycoplasma testing) in your workflow.

What it means: Disease model describes the disease context the cell line is derived from or commonly used to study. Here, Astrocytoma indicates relevance to Astrocytoma-related biology.

Why it matters:

• Fit-for-purpose: Disease-associated lines may retain phenotypes that are useful for mechanism studies, biomarker work, or target validation.
• Screening context: Disease background can influence pathway activity and treatment response, which affects assay sensitivity and hit interpretation.
• Controls: Comparing to matched “normal” or tissue-matched controls helps separate disease effects from cell-type effects.

How to interpret here: Use Astrocytoma as a guide for whether this model fits your hypothesis. Phenotypes can drift with passage, so keep passage windows consistent and confirm key markers for your use case when possible.

What it means: Morphology describes how the cells typically look and grow in culture (shape, clustering, and monolayer appearance). Here, Polygonal summarizes the expected morphology for this line.

Why it matters:

• Culture handling: Morphology often correlates with attachment strength, dissociation conditions, and sensitivity to confluence or shear stress.
• Assay planning: Imaging, migration/invasion, and monolayer-based assays depend on consistent cell shape and growth pattern.
• Quality check: A noticeable morphology shift can signal stress, contamination, or phenotypic drift.

How to interpret here: The Polygonal value is what you should generally expect under recommended culture conditions. Monitor morphology routinely and standardize seeding density and passage timing to keep results comparable.

Tip: If morphology changes after thawing, allow a short recovery period and confirm you are using the recommended medium and surface.

What it means: Growth Properties describes how the cells grow in culture—such as whether they attach to the surface (adherent), grow free-floating (suspension), or show mixed behavior. Here, Adherent summarizes the expected growth pattern.

Why it matters:

• Culture setup: Growth mode determines vessel choice, coating needs, and whether you culture as a monolayer or in suspension.
• Passaging & counting: Adherent vs suspension growth changes dissociation, viability assessment, and how you calculate seeding density.
• Assay compatibility: Some workflows (imaging, barrier assays) prefer adherent monolayers, while others (bioreactors, some screens) are easier in suspension.

How to interpret here: Use Adherent to plan your routine culture workflow and assay format.

• Adherent culture: Plan for coated/uncoated plastic as recommended, gentle dissociation, and confluence-based passaging.

What it means: Tissue indicates the tissue (and sometimes sub-structure) the cell line was derived from. Here, Brain describes the origin and helps place the model in the right biological context.

Why it matters:

• Baseline expression: Tissue-of-origin strongly influences gene expression, receptor profiles, and pathway activity.
• Model selection: Tissue-matched lines are usually more relevant for mechanism studies and translational assays than unrelated tissues.
• Experimental controls: Tissue origin helps you choose appropriate comparator lines (e.g., epithelial vs stromal, diseased vs non-diseased).

How to interpret here: The Brain value suggests this line is best used when your question is closely tied to that tissue biology. Consider confirming key tissue markers for critical applications.

Tip: Tissue origin can affect growth factor needs and differentiation state, so follow recommended culture conditions closely.