About the Basement Membrane Extract (BME)-free Database

Basement membrane extracts (BME, better known under the trade names Matrigel, Cultrex or Geltrex) are widely used for 2D and 3D cell culture applications. However, there are major animal welfare concerns associated with the production of BME. In order to produce 10 mL of BME, 2 purpose-bred mice are injected with Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm tumours. Subsequently, these mice are sacrificed when the tumours have been sufficiently expanded. The use of BME is also associated with important scientific concerns.

Therefore, there is a pressing need to replace the use of BME with more reproducible and preferably animal-free alternatives. The BME-free Database provides researchers with an overview of commercially available hydrogel- and coating-based products for in vitro applications wherefore BME is commonly used, such as organoids, spheroids, embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and specific in vitro assays (e.g., invasion assays and angiogenesis assays). The search tool allows researchers to finetune their search query to their specific needs. If you need additional expertise as a researcher, please contact us.

The BME-free Database is part of the 3Rs Research Tools Program together with the FCS-free Database, the Interspecies Database and the Humane Endpoints website. This program is managed and hosted by the 3Rs Centre Utrecht, and is dedicated at facilitating researchers to replace, reduce and refine animal experiments. When mentioning the BME-free Database please cite its RRID: SCR_026058.

If your product of your company is not featured in the BME-free Database, please contact us. The website is property of and managed by the 3Rs Centre Utrecht (3RCU). When accessing or visiting this website, and/or utilising the information provided herein, it is crucial to familiarise oneself with the disclaimer and express agreement with its terms.