Tissue Digestion and Cell Separation

Since protein complex formation and Ca2+ are critical to cell fixation within a tissue, dissociation media usually contain some type of proteolytic enzyme and the Ca2+ chelator, EDTA. The proteolytic enzyme can be of general specificity, such as trypsin, or can be a more targeted enzyme, such as a collagenase selective for the collagen-type characteristic of the tissue of interest. Hyaluronidase has been also used with matrix rich in hyaluronic acid, such as for isolation of duodenal entero-cytes. In all cases, the appropriate incubation times and concentrations to achieve cell dispersal, but retain high viability, need to be determined empirically. One factor 

Collagen Type Anchorage Protein Proteoglycan Cell Type 

Type III Fibronectin Heparin SOj, Heparin Go Hepatocytes Fibroblasts with epithelial cells 

Type IV Laminin Heparin S04, Heparin Regenerating hepatocytes Epithelial, endothelial cells 

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