MegaCult-C Complete Kit (-cyto), rack

For researchers studying megakaryopoiesis and platelet biology, this collagen-based colony-forming assay from STEMCELL Technologies supports standardized detection of megakaryocyte progenitors (CFU-Mk) in human bone marrow, peripheral blood, or cord blood samples. The cytokine-free configuration allows investigators to customize their growth factor cocktail, supporting reproducible dose-response work and recombinant cytokine screening experiments.

Cells are seeded into a collagen matrix in dual-chamber slides held in the supplied rack, then incubated for 10 to 14 days at 37 °C with 5% CO2. Resulting megakaryocyte colonies are identified by immunohistochemistry using anti-CD41 or anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibodies, which label the platelet integrin characteristic of mature megakaryocytes. Each chamber holds 2 mL of medium, and colonies are scored as clusters of three or more CD41-positive cells under microscopy.

Applications include characterization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell differentiation, drug screening for thrombopoiesis-modulating compounds, and validation of engineered hematopoietic models for research use only workflows. This kit is part of the broader MegaCult line of clonogenic assays used to study myeloid and erythroid lineages alongside megakaryocyte development.