A simple and biosafe method for isolation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECS) are used as an irreplaceable tool for the study of vascular diseases. However, the technicians who isolate HUVECs are largely exposed to potential infectious threats. Here we report the development of a specialized instrument to protect researchers from known or unknown infectious agents when they operate on human umbilical cords. This instrument can be assembled by common laboratory supplies and adapted to accommodate umbilical cords of different lengths. When the cord is enclosed within the instrument, the risk of sample contamination and operator infection is greatly reduced. Using our instrument, endothelial cells were successfully isolated from human umbilical veins without contamination. The cells were verified by their cobblestone-like morphology and by immunofluorescence staining (Factor VIII and CD31 positivity and α-SMA negativity). Our instrument simplifies and optimizes the cell extraction process, and most importantly elevates the biosafety to a higher level during the isolation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.