Human Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HPMEC)

Overview

Human Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HPMEC) is a cell model used for research applications where physiologically relevant identity and donor background support interpretation of experimental readouts. Human Endothelial Cells derived from Lung (Pulmonary Microvascular) within the Respiratory system.

The primary human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMEC), also termed as Human Lung Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HLMVEC), form a luminal barrier of intra-acinar arterioles that is critical for lung gas exchange and regulation of fluid and solute passage between the blood and interstitial compartments in the lung. They also have metabolic properties that enable it to carry out certain important nonrespiratory function [1] . The HPMEC are among the most important targets of reactive oxygen species elaborated in lung injury. During the lung inflammation, neurohumoral mediators and oxidants act on endothelial cells to induce intercellular gaps permissive for transudation of proteinaceous fluid from blood into the interstitium [2] . The increased permeability leads to the hypoxemia associated with adult respiratory distress syndrome and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema [3] . iXCells Biotechnologies provides high quality HPMEC, which are isolated from human lung tissue and cryopreserved at P2, with >0.5 million cells in each vial. HPMEC express vWF/Factor VIII, CD31 (PECAM), and Dil-Ac-LDL by uptake. They are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi and can further expand no more than 3 passages in Endothelial Cell Growth Media under the condition suggested by iXCells Biotechnologies. Further expansion may decrease the purity. Figure 1. Human Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells (HPMVEC). (A) Phase contrast image of HPaMEC. (B & C) Immunofluorescence staining with antibodies against CD31 (B) and vWF/Factor VIII (C) .

Key elements and design rationale

• Cell identity: Endothelial Cells (Primary Cells)
• Source context: Lung; Pulmonary Microvascular; Respiratory
• 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

Endothelial cells form the inner lining of blood vessels and regulate barrier function, leukocyte trafficking, coagulation balance, and angiogenic remodeling in response to biomechanical and inflammatory cues.

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.

Common research applications

• Profile identity markers by flow cytometry or immunostaining in cultured cells
• Measure barrier function and inflammatory activation in endothelial monolayers
• Quantify functional responses to defined stimuli relevant to the model system
• Compare baseline phenotype across donors/conditions using gene expression profiling
• Assess adhesion molecule expression and leukocyte interaction under inflammatory cues

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:BHC18500034

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