Substrate requirements for the isolation and purification of thymic epithelial cells

Cultures of thymic epithelial cells were initiated and maintained in vitro using surfaces coated with different substrates. The substrates we compared were plastic commercially treated for tissue culture, plastic coated with gelatin, and plastic coated with Cell-TakTM, a new commercially available cell and tissue adhesive. Cell-TakTM-treated plates provided the best environment for isolation and purification of this cell type as judged by lack of fibroblast contamination, growth rate, and cell morphology.