Cyclopamine, 5 mg

A steroid alkaloid from STEMCELL Technologies that inhibits the Hedgehog signalling pathway at the level of the pathway activator Smoothened (SMO). The compound binds to the heptahelical bundle of Smoothened, a G protein-coupled receptor, and prevents it from signalling further downstream. It is supplied as a crystalline solid with a reported purity of ≥ 95%, a molecular formula of C₂₇H₄₁NO₂, a molecular weight of 411.6 g/mol, and CAS number 4449-51-8. Alternative names listed in the product information include 11-Deoxojervine and Jervine.

The product is stable for 12 months from the date of receipt when stored at -20°C and protected from prolonged exposure to light. It has low solubility in aqueous media and is soluble in absolute ethanol at concentrations up to 20 mM; for example, a 10 mM stock solution in absolute ethanol can be prepared by resuspending 1 mg in 243 µL of solvent. Stock solutions should be prepared fresh before use, stored at -20°C in absolute ethanol, and aliquoted into working volumes to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. For cell culture applications, the stock should be diluted into culture medium immediately before use, and the final ethanol concentration kept at or below 0.1% to avoid potential cell toxicity.

Published research applications include reducing the proliferation of rat neural progenitor cells and mouse neurospheres, reducing the proliferation of mouse mammospheres, inhibiting the growth of human and mouse medulloblastoma cells as well as human glioblastoma cells, and promoting the differentiation of pancreatic hormone-expressing endocrine cells from human embryonic stem cells. The product is for research use only and is not intended for human or animal diagnostic or therapeutic applications.