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Cell cultures are widely used for in vitro assays or to produce biological compounds, such as antibodies or recombinant proteins. To optimise cell growth, the culture medium can be supplemented with a number of defined molecules or with blood serum.

Up to now, it has been very difficult to supplement the media with oil-soluble substances that are available for the cells. Only small amounts of these lipophilic compounds could be absorbed by the cells.

Mibelle Biochemistry developed a new method to deliver oil-soluble substances to mammalian cell cultures. The delivery system is based on a nanoemulsion which is stabilised by phospholipids.

Nanoemulsions are oil-in-water emulsions with a small droplet size, less than 60nm in diameter, which can be obtained by high pressure homogenisation. These nanoemulsions are transparent and can be passed through 0.1ºm filters for sterilisation. Nanoemulsions droplets are like liposomes (Fig.1) easily uptaken by the cells. The encapsulated oil-soluble substances have therefore a high bioavailability to cells in culture. This innovative delivery system can be used to supplement culture media with lipophilic agents to improve growth and vitality of cells or to study the toxicity/activity of oil-soluble drugs in cell cultures.

Mibelle Biochemistry is based in Buchs, Switzerland. www.mib-bio.com