Q: What is XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free)?

XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free) is a human melanocyte growth medium designed for primary human melanocyte expansion, maintenance, and pigmentation research applications.

Q: What type of cells can be cultured with this melanocyte growth medium?

This medium is designed for primary human melanocyte culture and melanocyte expansion workflows.

What is the advantage of a PMA-free melanocyte growth medium?

The PMA-free formulation is designed to reduce PMA-associated signaling interference and support stable melanocyte culture conditions.

Can XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium be used for melanogenesis research?

Yes. The medium supports melanogenesis research, pigmentation studies, and melanocyte functional analysis.

How should XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium be stored?

The basal medium should be stored at 4°C and the MEGS-2 supplement should be stored at -20°C.

Description

Maintaining healthy expansion of primary melanocytes can be challenging during routine cell culture workflows. Researchers working with human melanocyte models often encounter issues including limited proliferation capacity, unstable cell morphology after repeated culture, and unwanted signaling stimulation caused by certain growth-promoting components.

XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free) is a specialized human melanocyte growth medium designed for the expansion and maintenance of primary human melanocytes. The optimized formulation provides a supportive culture environment for primary melanocyte culture, helping researchers establish reliable cell populations for downstream pigmentation and skin biology studies.

Unlike conventional melanocyte culture systems containing PMA, this PMA-free melanocyte growth medium is designed to reduce unwanted activation associated with PKC signaling pathways. By replacing PMA stimulation with a more physiological growth-support strategy, XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium helps maintain melanocyte characteristics during long-term culture and functional research workflows.

The complete system contains 490 mL melanocyte basal medium and 10 mL MEGS-2 melanocyte growth supplement. After supplementation, the medium is ready for use in human melanocyte culture, expansion studies, and melanogenesis research applications.

Specifications

Product Name	XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free)
Product Type	Human melanocyte growth and expansion medium
SKU	XRMEC-500
Components	Melanocyte Basal Medium (490 mL) Melanocyte Growth Supplement MEGS-2 (10 mL)
Supplement Ratio	2% MEGS-2 supplement added to basal medium
pH	Basal Medium: 7.6–7.8 MEGS-2 Supplement: 7.2–7.5
Endotoxin	≤0.125 EU/mL
Filtration	<0.2 μm filtration
Bacteria Detection	Not detected
Fungi Detection	Not detected
Storage	Basal Medium: 4°C MEGS-2 Supplement: -20°C
Shelf Life	12 months
Application Grade	Research use only

Features

PMA-free melanocyte culture system designed to minimize unnecessary PKC pathway stimulation associated with traditional melanocyte growth formulations.
Optimized human melanocyte expansion medium supporting primary melanocyte proliferation and routine culture workflows.
Suitable for primary human melanocyte culture from purified melanocyte populations requiring stable expansion conditions.
Supports long-term melanocyte maintenance while preserving cellular characteristics for downstream functional studies.
Designed for pigmentation-related research including melanogenesis analysis and skin biology studies.
Complete formulation supplied as basal medium and MEGS-2 growth supplement for convenient laboratory preparation.
Low endotoxin and sterile filtered formulation supports consistent cell culture performance.

Applications

XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free) is designed for researchers performing human melanocyte culture workflows that require consistent expansion performance, stable cell characteristics, and reliable experimental reproducibility. The formulation supports a wide range of applications involving primary melanocyte maintenance, pigmentation biology, and skin-related research.

Primary Human Melanocyte Culture
Supports expansion and maintenance of purified primary human melanocytes for laboratory research requiring reliable melanocyte growth conditions.
Human Epidermal Melanocyte Expansion
Suitable for researchers studying epidermal melanocyte biology, skin pigmentation mechanisms, and cellular responses in human skin models.
Melanogenesis Research
Provides a supportive culture environment for investigations of melanin synthesis pathways, pigmentation regulation, and melanocyte functional activity.
Pigmentation Research and Drug Screening
Applicable for evaluating compounds, biological factors, and treatment strategies affecting melanocyte proliferation, pigmentation changes, and melanin production.
Skin Biology Research
Supports in vitro skin cell culture studies involving melanocyte interactions, epidermal biology, and pigmentation-related mechanisms.
Melanocyte Proliferation Studies
Designed for experiments requiring expanded melanocyte populations for molecular analysis, imaging, staining, and functional characterization.
Long-Term Melanocyte Maintenance
The PMA-free formulation helps researchers maintain melanocyte cultures under conditions designed to reduce unwanted pathway activation during extended culture periods.
Cell-Based Skin Research Models
Can be incorporated into research workflows involving reconstructed skin models, cellular signaling studies, and pigmentation-related investigations.

Recommended Culture Workflow

XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free) is supplied as a two-component system to simplify preparation while maintaining formulation consistency.

Medium Preparation

Store basal melanocyte medium at 4°C and MEGS-2 supplement at -20°C before use.
Thaw MEGS-2 supplement at 37°C before preparation and add at 2% volume ratio to the basal medium.
Example preparation: add 10 mL MEGS-2 supplement into 490 mL melanocyte basal medium to prepare complete melanocyte expansion medium.

Cell Culture Recommendations

Recommended seeding density: 15,000–20,000 cells/cm².
Medium replacement interval: every 24–48 hours according to experimental requirements and cell condition.
Cells can generally be evaluated, collected, or passaged after approximately 48–72 hours depending on growth status.
Gentle dissociation methods are recommended to maintain melanocyte viability and morphology during passaging.

Why Choose XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium?

Successful melanocyte research depends on maintaining a balance between efficient cell expansion and preservation of normal cellular characteristics. Conventional melanocyte culture approaches may rely on strong growth stimulation, which can introduce additional signaling effects and influence experimental interpretation.

XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free) was developed to address these challenges by providing a specialized PMA-free human melanocyte growth medium for primary melanocyte expansion. The formulation avoids PMA-associated PKC pathway stimulation while supporting efficient melanocyte proliferation and functional research applications.

For laboratories performing primary melanocyte culture, pigmentation studies, or skin biology research, XR provides a consistent and convenient culture solution combining optimized nutrients, sterile filtration, and controlled quality specifications.

Advantages Compared With Conventional PMA-Containing Melanocyte Media

Culture Consideration	Traditional PMA-Containing Systems	XR PMA-Free Melanocyte Medium
Growth stimulation strategy	Relies on PMA-associated signaling activation	Designed with PMA-free supplementation strategy
PKC pathway influence	Potential pathway activation from PMA stimulation	Reduced PMA-associated signaling interference
Research applications	General melanocyte expansion	Expansion plus pigmentation and functional studies
Long-term culture suitability	Requires careful evaluation during extended culture	Designed for stable melanocyte maintenance workflows
Target users	Routine melanocyte culture laboratories	Researchers requiring physiological melanocyte research conditions

Quality and Handling Information

XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free) is manufactured with controlled quality specifications for research cell culture applications. Each component undergoes filtration and quality testing to support consistent laboratory use.

Sterile filtered through <0.2 μm filtration process.
Endotoxin level controlled at ≤0.125 EU/mL.
Bacteria and fungi detection: not detected.
Basal medium storage condition: 4°C.
MEGS-2 supplement storage condition: -20°C.

FAQ

What is XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free)?

XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium & MEGS-2 (PMA-free) is a specialized human melanocyte growth medium designed for primary human melanocyte expansion, maintenance, and pigmentation-related research. The system includes melanocyte basal medium and MEGS-2 growth supplement for preparation of complete melanocyte culture medium.

What type of cells can be cultured with this melanocyte growth medium?

This medium is designed for primary human melanocyte culture, including purified melanocyte populations requiring expansion and maintenance under controlled cell culture conditions. It is suitable for human skin and epidermal melanocyte research workflows.

What is the advantage of using a PMA-free melanocyte culture medium?

PMA is commonly used in some melanocyte culture systems as a growth-promoting component but may activate PKC-related signaling pathways. XR PMA-free melanocyte growth medium is designed to reduce PMA-associated signaling interference and provide a more suitable environment for long-term melanocyte research.

Is XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium suitable for primary melanocyte expansion?

Yes. XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium is developed as a primary melanocyte expansion medium supporting melanocyte proliferation, routine maintenance, and preparation of expanded cell populations for downstream experiments.

Can this medium be used for melanogenesis research?

Yes. XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium supports applications involving melanogenesis research, including studies of melanin production, pigmentation regulation, melanocyte function, and cellular responses related to pigmentation pathways.

Is this product suitable for pigmentation research and cosmetic research applications?

Yes. The medium is suitable for research workflows involving pigmentation research, including evaluation of compounds, biological factors, or treatments affecting melanocyte proliferation and pigmentation-related processes.

What are the components of the XR melanocyte culture medium system?

The complete system contains 490 mL melanocyte basal medium and 10 mL MEGS-2 melanocyte growth supplement. The supplement is added at 2% volume ratio before use to prepare complete melanocyte expansion medium.

How should XR Melanocyte Expansion Medium be prepared?

MEGS-2 supplement should be thawed before use and added to the basal medium at a 2% ratio. For example, 10 mL MEGS-2 supplement is added to 490 mL basal medium to prepare complete culture medium.

What are the recommended storage conditions for this melanocyte culture medium?

The melanocyte basal medium should be stored at 4°C, while the MEGS-2 supplement should be stored at -20°C. The shelf life of each component is 12 months under recommended storage conditions.

What applications are supported by XR Human Melanocyte Growth Medium?

XR Human Melanocyte Growth Medium supports applications including primary melanocyte culture, human epidermal melanocyte expansion, pigmentation studies, melanogenesis research, skin biology research, and melanocyte functional analysis.

XR Human Melanocyte Medium Kit (PMA-Free)