Questions and Answers
Recent answers:
- Q: Are there any published papers concerning the use of ec23®?
- A:
Yes. Several peer reviewed papers describing the development, testing and characterisation of ec23® are available (see section on publications). Scientists at reinnervate continue research into novel applications for this technology and publish and present their data when appropriate.
- Q: Has ec23® been tested in vivo?
- A:
Yes. Synthetic retinoid ec23® is a potent regulator of tissue morphogenesis. Experiments have shown that exogenous administration of ec23® can induce limb duplications and other phenotypes in the chick embryo. ec23 is also a potent regulator of keratinocytes proliferation.
- Q: How is ec23® supplied?
- A:
Synthetic retinoid ec23® is synthetically prepared. ec23® is supplied as a white crystalline powder in a clear glass vial.
- Q: How should I store my stock solutions of ec23®?
- A:
We routinely aliquot a stock solution of 10mg/ml ec23® in DMSO and store this at -20°C.
- Q: Is ec23® a selective agonist?
- A:
Current data indicate that ec23® is a pan-agonist of the RAR receptor family.
- Q: What cell types have been tested?
- A:
Synthetic retinoid ec23® has been shown to be a potent inducer of stem cell differentiation. In particular, neurogenesis, and the differentiation of neural derivatives from pluripotent stem cells, and fetal and adult derived neuroprogenitor cells. It also has activity in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of skin cells.
- Q: What concentration should I use?
- A:
The working concentration of ec23® is dependent on the particular experiment or assay and the nature of the cell system used. Final concentrations varying from 10µm to 0.01µm ec23® have been shown to regulate biological activity. Accordingly, the user should optimise the concentration of ec23® for their purposes.
- Q: What does ec23® dissolve in?
- A:
It is insoluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol. ec23® is soluble at 10 mg/ml in DMSO and at approximately 2 mg/ml in 95% ethanol although vortexing may be necessary. Solutions of ec23® are not expected to degrade. It should not be necessary to handle solutions of ec23® under reduced light or under an atmosphere of inert gas.
- Q: What precautions should I take using ec23®?
- A:
It is essential that the appropriate precautions, protective clothing and equipment are used at all times when preparing or handling synthetic retinoid ec23® in powder or soluble forms (see Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS-EC23-02) for further information).
- Q: What stock concentration should I make?
- A:
A stock solution of 10mg/ml ec23® in DMSO is stable and should be adequate for most applications. Subsequent dilutions can be made in aqueous-based solutions, including cell culture growth medium.