LUMENESC™ or Luminescence Measurement of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) is an ATP-based bioluminescence platform that can replace the Colony-Forming Unit - Fibroblast (CFU-F) assay. Mesenchymal Stem Cells are a fibroblastoid population that can give rise to a number of differentiated cell systems including tenocytes, chondrocytes, astrocytes, muscle and even neuronal cells. With regard to a quality control application, however, LUMENESC™ detect the proliferative ability of cells that are responsible for interacting with transplanted stem cells to form viable stem cell niches in order for the stem cells to engraft, grow and repopulation the hematopoietic system.
The cells responsible for interacting with stem cells include macrophages, fat cells, reticulum cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Together these constitute the Hematopoietic Microenvironment. Without a fully functional in vivo hematopoietic microenvironment, stem cell will not grow. To determine the presence and whether the MSC will possess the functional ability to proliferate and produce fibroblasts that can help form the hematopoietic microenvironment, two assays are available, namely the CFU-F assay and LUMENESC™-96 QC. The following table shos the differences between these two assays and the advantages of LUMENESC™-96 QC over the CFU-F assay.
| | CFU-F | LUMENESC™-96 QC |
| Assay detects: | Fibroblasts | Fibroblasts |
| Type of assay: | Differentiation | Proliferation |
| Type of culture: | Suspension | Suspension |
| Cell growth: | Expansion | Expansion |
| Parameter measured: | Colony number | Intracellular ATP |
| Type of readout: | Manual | Instrument-based |
| Readout: | Stained colonies | Bioluminescence |
| Subjectivity | Subjective | Non-subjective |
| Standardization: | No | External ATP with high and low controls |
| Format: | 60mm-100mm Petri dishes | 96-well plate |
| Volume of assay: | Several mls | 100µl |
| Number of replicates: | 1-2 | Unlimited |
| Incubation time: | 14-21 days | 10 days |
| Processing time/ reading time: | None / 10min / plate | 20 min / <5 min / plate |
| Training: | > 14 days | 2 days |
| Proficiency testing potential: | None | Yes |
