Human Cardiac Fibroblasts-adult (HCF-a)

Overview

Human Cardiac Fibroblasts-adult (HCF-a) is a cell model used for research applications where physiologically relevant identity and donor background support interpretation of experimental readouts. Human Fibroblasts derived from Heart (Cardiac) within the Cardiovascular system.

Human cardiac fibroblasts (HCF) provide structural support for cardiac myocytes and are responsible for extracellular matrix synthesis in the heart during growth and pathophysiological conditions. HCF are an important cellular component of myocardial responses to injury and the source of paracrine growth factors. HCF proliferation and synthesis of matrix is essential for scar formation at sites of myocardial infarction [1] and cardiac fibrosis [2]. Primary HCF cultures have been widely used as a model to study many aspects of human heart function and pathophysiology. [3]. iXCells Biotechnologies provides high quality HCF-a, which are isolated from human adult heart and cryopreserved at P1, with >0.5 million cells in each vial. HCF-a express fibronectin and are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. They can further expand for 16 population doublings in Fibroblast Growth Medium(Cat# MD-0011) under the condition suggested by iXCells Biotechnologies.

Key elements and design rationale

• Cell identity: Fibroblasts (Primary Cells, Custom Cells)
• Source context: Heart; Cardiac; Cardiovascular
• Donor background: Age: Adult
• Biosafety level: BSL-2 (follow your institution’s biosafety program and local regulations)

Product-specific elements (such as tissue source, donor background, and cell classification) help frame how results should be interpreted across assays and experimental conditions.

Biological background

Fibroblasts are key stromal cells that produce and remodel extracellular matrix, coordinate wound repair, and shape tissue microenvironments through paracrine signaling.

Across primary and specialty cell models, experimental outcomes can be influenced by donor heterogeneity, passage history, confluence, and media composition. For interpretation, it is common to validate key markers or functional phenotypes in the user’s assay context and to document culture variables consistently.

Research relevance and current trends

• Increasing use of primary and specialty cells to improve translational relevance for target biology and phenotypic screening.
• Adoption of 3D culture formats and co-culture systems to better capture tissue microenvironments and cell–cell interactions.
• Integration of functional readouts with single-cell and multi-omics profiling to connect phenotype with molecular state.
• Use of flow/shear and barrier-focused assays to study vascular inflammation, permeability, and angiogenic remodeling.

Common research applications

• Profile identity markers by flow cytometry or immunostaining in cultured cells
• Quantify functional responses to defined stimuli relevant to the model system
• Compare baseline phenotype across donors/conditions using gene expression profiling
• Evaluate angiogenic behavior using migration and tube-formation readouts (assay dependent)
• Screen compounds or genetic perturbations for phenotype modulation using viability or imaging endpoints

Interpretation typically focuses on how a perturbation (e.g., cytokine exposure, metabolic stress, genetic manipulation, or compound treatment) shifts marker profiles or functional readouts relative to an appropriate control matched for donor and culture variables.

Notes for experimental interpretation

• Donor-to-donor heterogeneity can influence baseline phenotype and treatment response; include biological replicates when feasible.
• Passage number, confluence, and media composition can shift gene expression and functional readouts; track and report these variables consistently.
• Contamination control (including routine mycoplasma monitoring) supports reproducibility in downstream assays.
• Use appropriate negative/positive controls for the readout (e.g., unstimulated controls, pathway agonists/antagonists) to contextualize observed changes.

SKU:BHC18500239

Customization & Add-ons: Can't find the cell line you need—or require a custom cell-based solution for your project? We can help you source the best match or support custom cell line services for diverse research needs, including cell line sourcing and selection (species, tissue, and disease model matching), stable cell line engineering (overexpression, knockdown, or knockout via CRISPR/Cas9, shRNA, or sgRNA), reporter gene integration (GFP, RFP, luciferase, and other fluorescent or bioluminescent constructs), genome editing and knockin (point mutations, tagged endogenous proteins, conditional alleles), inducible expression systems (Tet-On/Off and other regulatable constructs), drug resistance marker selection (puromycin, G418, hygromycin, and others), custom growth and media optimisation for specific assay requirements, scale-up production for high-throughput screening campaigns, and authentication and QC services (STR profiling, mycoplasma testing, viability assessment). Click Talk to a Scientist to submit a request, email us at support@biohippo.com, or explore our Research Services for additional support—our team will follow up with feasibility details and next steps.