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Sera and Plasmas

Sera and Plasmas

Creative Biolabs offers high-quality serum and plasma products. Our blood products are collected under FDA-approved protocols in the United States. Featured complement activity-preserved products are available for biocompatibility experiments including drug development, biomaterials testing, lymphocytotoxicity, and hemolytic procedure.

We also provide a range of serum and plasma products that depleted the special protein. We are dedicated to offering high-quality products to help your project to succeed.

What Are Complement Serums and Plasma? Human vs. Animal Complement Serum Finding the Right Serum & Plasma Match for Your Research FAQs Popular in Collection Related Products & Services

What Are Complement Serums and Plasma?

Complement serums and plasma are vital components in the study of immunology and biological research. These biological fluids, derived from various organisms, play crucial roles in the immune response, particularly in the complement system.

A fraction of blood obtained after coagulation, complement serum contains active proteins that have yet to be consumed during clot formation. It's widely used in research applications, especially in complement activity assays.

Plasma, unlike serum, is extracted from blood before coagulation, containing fibrinogen and other clotting factors. It is a critical resource for studies requiring both complement proteins and clotting factors.

These materials are sourced from various species, such as human, mouse, and rat, and are indispensable in investigating the immune responses, conducting hemolysis tests, and performing antibody screening assays.

Types of Complement Serums and Plasma

Different complement serums and plasma are available for specific research needs, depending on the organism from which they are derived and their intended application.

Human Complement Serum and Plasma

Applications: Are widely used for immune response modeling, disease progression studies, and vaccine efficacy testing.

Research Focus: Particularly useful in antibody screening assays.

Mouse Complement Serum and Plasma

Applications: Are frequently employed in preclinical studies, genetic studies and immunological experiments.

Research Focus: Popular in studies involving hemolysis assays and mouse model testing for autoimmune diseases and inflammation.

Rat Complement Serum and Plasma

Applications: Are commonly used in pharmacological research and toxicology.

Research Focus: Used in in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate complement-mediated cytotoxicity and drug effects on immune system modulation.

Non-human Primate (NHP) Complement Serum and Plasma

Applications: Are considered the closest to human complement products and are used extensively in translational research.

Research Focus: Ideal for research focused on understanding human-like immune responses in preclinical studies, particularly in xenotransplantation and immune therapy development.

Product Collection Specifications

  • High purity levels
  • Sterile, ready-to-use formats
  • Comprehensive quality control tests
  • Each batch of complement serum or plasma is accompanied by a COA
  • High Stability

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Human vs. Animal Complement Serum

We conduct an in-depth comparison of Human vs. Animal Complement Serum, examining their functional characteristics, research applications, and species compatibility.

Attribute Human Mouse Rat Rabbit Guinea Pig Bovine
Function Used in human immunology research, autoimmune disease studies Used in genetic and immunological studies for mouse models Used in toxicology and infection models Highly reactive complement, used in lysis assays Considered more potent in hemolytic assays Used in studies where cross-species complement is required
Pathway Activation Activates classical, alternative, and lectin pathways, critical for human immunity All pathways active, closely mimicking human complement activation Strong activation of classical and alternative pathways, often used in inflammation studies Classical pathway dominates, highly efficient in lysis studies Excellent for alternative pathway research due to sensitivity Strong classical pathway, sometimes used as a substitute for human complement
Hemolytic Activity High specificity to human erythrocytes Moderate hemolytic activity, specific to murine erythrocytes Moderate hemolytic activity, particularly in inflammatory contexts Very high hemolytic activity, ideal for complement fixation assays Exceptional hemolytic activity, used in classical pathway assays Lower hemolytic activity compared to human and rabbit sera
Research Applications Autoimmune disease models, infectious disease research, vaccine development, immune regulation Used in transgenic mouse models, antibody development, immune response modulation Toxicology, infection models, inflammation studies Classical pathway activation for complement fixation, hemolysis, and antibody development Strong alternative pathway studies, excellent for testing immune system compatibility Veterinary research, xenotransplantation models, antibody production
Species Compatibility Specifically reacts with human cells and proteins, high species specificity Strong species-specific reactions with murine cells, but limited cross-reactivity with other species Works well within rat models but limited in cross-species applications Useful in complement lysis studies, particularly for rabbit-specific assays Often used as a model for alternative pathway reactions in other species Cross-reactivity with other mammals, particularly in xenotransplantation
Availability Commercially available in purified and native forms Readily available Readily available Readily available Readily available Readily available

Research Objectives

  • Are you studying immune responses?

If so, species-specific serum containing active complement proteins and antibodies may be required.

  • Are you working with cell cultures?

Many researchers prefer fetal bovine serum (FBS) due to its rich content of growth factors, but human or specialized sera may be necessary for certain models.

  • Are you conducting protein or metabolic assays?

You'll need serum or plasma free from coagulation factors that could interfere with your assays.

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Species Source

You may refer to the table above to make your selection.

  • Human Serum and Plasma
  • Mouse and Rat Serum/Plasma
  • Bovine Serum and Plasma
  • Rabbit, Guinea Pig, and Other Species

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Purity and Processing

You'll need to consider how the biological material is processed to ensure that it matches your experimental needs. Important factors include:

  • Heat inactivation
  • Sterile filtration
  • Anticoagulants in plasma (EDTA, heparin, citrate)

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Experimental Conditions

Matching serum or plasma to your experimental conditions is essential for reproducibility and validity. Consider factors such as:

  • Species compatibility
  • Growth factor requirements
  • Assay compatibility

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Technical and Application Guide

Creative Biolabs provides a comprehensive range of complement sera and plasma products, tailored to meet the advanced demands of scientific and pharmaceutical research. Our technical guide provides detailed protocols and best practices for using complement sera and plasma in scientific assays.

Key Applications

Complement sera are commonly used in both in vitro and in vivo assays, including hemolytic complement assays, complement-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC), immunoassays for complement activation, complement pathway activation analysis.

Classical Pathway Hemolytic Assay (CH50 Assay)

The CH50 assay is used to measure the functional activity of the classical pathway by evaluating the lysis of antibody-coated sheep erythrocytes.

Alternative Pathway Assay (AP50 Assay)

The AP50 assay measures the activity of the alternative complement pathway, which can be activated in the absence of antibodies and is critical for pathogen defense.

Lectin Pathway Assay

The Lectin Pathway is activated by carbohydrate recognition molecules, such as mannose-binding lectin (MBL). This assay is useful in studying innate immune responses and carbohydrate-lectin interactions.

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Creative Biolabs offers a range of high-quality products for complement activity

and function assays. View our product list to find your interested products.

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Complement Function Analysis Protocols

We briefly summarize the complement-related assay protocols. Find complement-related assay protocols by clicking the following items.

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Tips for Experimental Success

  • Optimize Conditions: Optimize pH, buffer composition, and serum dilutions for your specific assay.
  • Use Controls: Always include positive and negative controls to account for nonspecific lysis or complement-independent effects.
  • Monitor Temperature: Complement proteins are temperature-sensitive.
  • Avoid Complement Activation during Handling: Properly thaw and handle complement sera to avoid unintended activation before the assay begins.

FAQs

We conduct an in-depth comparison of Human vs. Animal Complement Serum, examining their functional characteristics, research applications, and species compatibility.

How should complement serum and plasma be stored to maintain activity?

Complement proteins are heat-labile, meaning they are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Proper storage is critical to preserving complement activity. Short-term storage: Complement serum and plasma should be stored at -20°C or lower for up to one month. Long-term storage: For extended periods (over a month), storage at -80°C is advised to ensure optimal complement activity. Thawing should always be performed on ice or at 4°C to prevent denaturation. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles should be avoided, as they can degrade complement components and reduce functional activity.

What are the key considerations when handling complement serum or plasma in experiments?

When working with complement serum or plasma, several best practices must be followed to ensure experimental validity:

  • Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles: These can compromise complement protein integrity and activity.
  • Use protease inhibitors: To prevent the breakdown of complement proteins during experimentation.
  • Handle under sterile conditions: To avoid contamination, which could affect both the complement system's integrity and the experimental result.

What assays can be used to measure complement activity in serum or plasma?

Complement activity can be assessed using a variety of well-established assays, each designed to measure specific pathways or components. CH50 and AH50 assays: These measure the activity of the classical and alternative complement pathways, respectively, by assessing the lysis of red blood cells. C3 and C5 cleavage assays: Used to monitor the activation of complement proteins and the generation of C3a and C5a fragments. ELISA assays: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) can be used to quantify individual complement proteins or activation fragments (e.g., C1q, C4, Factor B).

What are complement-depleted serum and plasma?

Complement-depleted serum or plasma refers to biological samples where specific complement proteins (such as C3, C4, or C5) have been removed or inactivated. These depleted products are critical for investigating individual complement pathways and validating complement-related therapies. By using depleted serum or plasma, scientists can evaluate the therapeutic potential of complement inhibitors or enhancers in isolation from other immune factors.

What are complement-depleted serum and plasma?

Complement-depleted serum or plasma refers to biological samples where specific complement proteins (such as C3, C4, or C5) have been removed or inactivated. These depleted products are critical for investigating individual complement pathways and validating complement-related therapies. By using depleted serum or plasma, scientists can evaluate the therapeutic potential of complement inhibitors or enhancers in isolation from other immune factors.

Can I request customized complement serum or plasma preparations?

At Creative Biolabs, we offer customized complement preparations to meet the unique needs of your research. These services include:

  • Custom depletion: Targeting specific complement components.
  • Species-specific preparations: Tailored to your experimental model (e.g., mouse, rat, human).
  • Functional assays: Complement activity validation upon request.

Please contact our team to discuss your specific requirements, and we will work to deliver high-quality, scientifically validated products to support your research.

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