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Updated: Nov 20, 2025
Isolation of Primary Myofibroblasts from Mouse and Human Colon Tissue
Published on: October 12, 2013
Characterization of a bovine intestinal myofibroblast cell line and stimulation using phytoglycogen-based
K Jenik1, T N Alkie1,2, E Moore3
1Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
Insights
Researchers characterized a new bovine intestinal myofibroblast (BT-IMF) cell line, crucial for gut health and wound healing. This cell line, successfully cultured and cryopreserved, shows potential for cultured meat applications.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Animal Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Intestinal myofibroblasts are vital for maintaining intestinal homeostasis, regulating epithelial cell proliferation, and supporting tissue repair.
- Characterizing novel cell lines is essential for advancing in vitro research and developing new biotechnological applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize a novel bovine intestinal myofibroblast (BT-IMF) cell line from fetal bovine intestine.
- To assess the potential of BT-IMF cells for in vitro studies and future applications, such as cultured meat production.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and culture of BT-IMF cells from fetal bovine intestine.
- Cryopreservation and assessment of cell viability and proliferation across multiple passages.
- Immunocytochemical staining for myofibroblast markers (vimentin, α-SMA) and epithelial markers (pancytokeratin).
- Growth kinetic studies evaluating the effects of hydrocortisone, non-essential amino acids, and inosine monophosphate-nanoparticles (IMP-NP) on cell proliferation.
Main Results:
- BT-IMF cells were successfully established, cryopreserved, and cultured beyond 25 passages.
- Immunocytochemistry confirmed the myofibroblastic nature of BT-IMF cells (vimentin+, α-SMA+, pancytokeratin-).
- Hydrocortisone inhibited BT-IMF growth, while non-essential amino acids and IMP-NP enhanced proliferation, indicating responsiveness to specific stimuli.
Conclusions:
- The novel BT-IMF cell line provides a valuable tool for in vitro research on bovine intestinal biology.
- BT-IMF cells exhibit characteristics suitable for studying intestinal functions and hold promise for applications in the cultured meat industry.
Abstract:
The goal of the present study was to characterize a novel bovine intestinal myofibroblast (BT-IMF) cell line isolated from a fetal bovine intestine. This cell type is of importance as intestinal myofibroblasts play a key role in controlling intestinal epithelial cell proliferation, intestinal regulation, wound healing, epithelial cell turnover, and structural support. The present work demonstrates that BT-IMF cells could be successfully cryopreserved and thawed and cultured past 25 passages. Immunocytochemical staining of the BT-IMF cell line was positive for vimentin and smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and negative for pancytokeratin, suggesting that the cells are myofibroblastic in type. Growth kinetic experiments demonstrate that hydrocortisone negatively impacts BT-IMF growth and non-essential amino acids enhance its proliferation. Inosine monophosphate (IMP) is a dietary nucleotide and is essential for supporting animal health. Stimulation with IMP bound to a novel phytoglycogen-based nanocarrier (IMP-NP) showed enhanced cell proliferation. BT-IMF provides a new tool for studying bovine cells in vitro and may be of particular interest for cultured meat manufacturing in the future.
