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Perfluorochemicals and Cell Culture

Abstract

Recent interest has focused on the potential uses of inert perfluorochemical (PFC) oils as organic oxygen carriers. PFCs and their emulsions can alter the growth characteristics of a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell types. This has important implications in both basic and applied cell culture studies since gas transport is often a limiting factor. However, a pre-requisite to any biotechnological use of PFCs in cell cultures is knowledge of their effects on basic cellular functions. This paper reviews the properties of PFCs relevant to biological systems and considers their effects on microbial, plant and animal cells, including tumour cell lines. The extent to which growth, function and biochemical properties of cells can be altered in the presence of PFCs and their emulsion constituents is especially considered. Potential new applications for PFCs in cell culture systems have been highlighted.

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King, A., Mulligan, B. & Lowe, K. Perfluorochemicals and Cell Culture. Nat Biotechnol 7, 1037–1042 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1089-1037

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