Cell Transformation Assay Kit (Colorimetric)

Transformation of normal cells into neoplastic (malignant) cells is the first step in tumorigenesis. In vitro assays of cellular oncotransformation, which measures phenotypic alterations to cultured cells that mirror those observed in tumors, are a critical tool in studying the mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Cell transformation assays are frequently employed in toxicology to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of a particular compound. The Soft-Agar Assay is a traditional method for screening cell transformation in vitro. In this assay, transformed cultured cells gain the ability to proliferate through the soft agarose gel without attaching to a surface and tend to form spheroid-like clumps of cells (colonies). However, this method is lengthy (3-4 weeks incubation), laborious (counting colonies) and inconsistent (due to subjective counting). Cell Transformation Assay Kit (Colorimetric)(ab235698) is faster, stable and more sensitive than the traditional Soft-Agar Assay. The kit is based on the conversion of the tetrazolium salt (WST) to formazan by cellular mitochondrial dehydrogenases. The generated signal is directly proportional to the number of living cells. This one-step method is non-radioactive and simple (just add-and-read, does not require harvesting cells, and solubilization steps). The assay is high-throughput adaptable and has a wide linear range from 10,000-400,000 cells. The entire Cell Transformation Assay can be finished within 7-8 days.

This product is manufactured by BioVision, an Abcam company and was previously called K921 Cell Transformation Assay Kit (Colorimetric). K921-100 is the same size as the 100 test size of ab235698.