Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells derived from the embryonic mesoderm. They have been extensively used for a wide range of cellular and molecular studies, as they are one of the easiest types of cells to grow in culture. In addition, their durability makes them amenable to a wide variety of manipulations ranging from studies employing gene transfection to microinjection. There is evidence showing that fibroblasts in various organs are intrinsically different. Fibroblasts secrete a non-rigid extracellular matrix that is rich in type I and/or type III collagen. They are responsible for much of the synthesis of extracellular matrix in connective tissues and play a central role in wound healing. Many diseases are associated with fibroblasts, either because fibroblasts are implicated in their etiology or because of the fibrosis that accompanies damage to other cell types in tissues. For example, the development of bowel stenosis in Crohn’s disease patients is caused by extreme fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix expansion. HIF from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from human intestinal tissue. HIF are cryopreserved at passage one and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 105 cells in 1 ml volume. HIF are characterized by their spindle morphology and immunofluorescence with antibody specific to fibronectin. HIF are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast and fungi. HIF are guaranteed to further expand for 15 population doublings under the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories. Recommended Medium It is recommended to use Fibroblast Medium (FM, Cat. #2301) for culturing HIF in vitro.