TissueSpec®

Bone ECM Hydrogel

TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel is a versatile extracellular

matrix product comprised of bone-specific collagens and other

ECM molecules of porcine origin. TissueSpec® hydrogels

provide cells (e.g., osteoblasts, cancer cells, stem cells) a

physiologic substrate for 3D cell culture that is easy to use and

enhances cell function and cell-cell interactions. 

Features

Derived from porcine bone tissue 

Contains bone-specific ECM components

Supports primary cell and organoid cultures

Compatible with standard cell culture protocols

Consistent across lots

Easy to use

Applications in 3D cell culture

TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel supports osteoblast phenotype

Primary human osteoblasts cultured in TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel (6 mg/mL) show characteristic dendritic morphology  

after 1 hour in culture. Osteoblasts have higher alkaline phosphatase activity in TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel than in

Matrigel and collagen I after 7 days in culture. 

Catalog # MTSBN101

The cell environment company xylyxbio.com

TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel can be applied as a thin gel to culture cells

and study cellular activity. Cells interact with bone ECM and show bone-specific

function. To study cell-cell interactions or microtissue structures, encapsulate

cells or organoids within 3D TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel.

Bone ECM Matrigel collagen I

Morp

holo

gy

(bri

ghtf

ield

)

Alk

alin

e

phosp

hat

ase

25 µm

Alk

alin

e phosp

hat

ase

(mea

n a

rea,

pix

els)

Bone ECM Matrigel collagen I

50

100

150

200

Paclitaxel 

vehicle

+-

collagens

100-200glycosaminoglycans

25 µm

ECM componentsBone ECM Hydrogel (6 mg/mL)

55 + 5 PaStiffness  -

Primary human osteoblasts cultured in TissueSpec® Bone ECM

Hydrogel support significant calcium deposition (mineralization)

after 21 days in mineralization medium compared to osteoblasts

cultured in standard growth medium and plastic (no ECM). Calcium

deposition is confirmed by Alizarin red staining.

TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel provides a

model of breast cancer metastasis to bone, and

shows differential drug responses of breast cancer

subtypes compared to plastic (no ECM). Response

to drug treatment (Paclitaxel, 5 µM) and vehicle

(DMSO) of (a) BT-549 cells and (b) T47-D cells for

48 hours. OD, optical density.

Plastic

TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel enables cancer drug testing

TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel characteristics

(a) Proteomic profile by mass spectrometry indicates that TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel has a unique, bone-specific

composition. (b,c) TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel has a consistent protein profile across multiple lots. (d) Mechanical stiffness

of TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel increases with hydrogel concentration and changes as cells remodel the bone matrix. 

a BT-549

d Mechanical propertiesb

c

Key components (µg/mL)

Collagen

b T47-D

mg/mL

The cell environment company xylyxbio.com

Cal

cium

 

dep

osi

tion

7,500-9,500

400-500elastin

(soluble)

Lot

TissueSpec® Bone ECM Hydrogel supports osteogenic differentiation

No cells

BT-549 cells

Time (day)

Sto

rage

modulu

s (P

a)

Met

abolic

act

ivity

(OD

)

Met

abolic

act

ivity

(OD

)

PlasticBone ECMBone ECM

Mineralization

Aliz

arin

red

1

2

3

2 4 6 8 100 2 430

40

50

60

70

80

0.0

0.6

1.2

1.8

2.4

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

- + - + - + - +

Bone ECM

Plastic

Paclitaxel 

Bone ECM

Paclitaxel 

Control

a Mass spec profile*

Biomolecules

collagens type I, II, III, V, VI,

X, XI, XII, XVI

glycoproteins biglycan, osteonectin

periostin, tenascin C

proteoglycans asporin, decorin

fibromodulin, lumican

osteoglycin, osteomodulin

matrix associated albumin, annexin A2

* partial list of components

+