Choosing the most efficient protocol for your specific cell type

GenJet Ver. II, LipoD293, and PolyJet DNA in vitro transfection reagents all offer two protocols for transfecting mammalian cells- a general protocol and an advanced protocol. The two protocols are written for transfecting different types of mammalian cells. The advanced protocol, which involves utilizing cell shaving technology, is for difficult to transfect mammalian cells such as MDCK, MDA-MB231, Caco-2, etc. The general protocol usually gives less than 5% efficiency for these cell types, while the advanced protocol can yield up to 60% efficiency for these problematic cells.

The principle to decide which protocol to use for your cell is highly dependent upon the nature of your cell. For commonly used cells like HEK293, Hela, CHO, 3T3, COS, HepG2, LNCaP, PC3, PC12, U2-OS, L929, MCF-7 and Huh-7, be sure to use general protocol, as it usually gives good transgene expression. For very hard to transfect cells like MDCK, MDA-MB231, Caco-2, SaoS-2 and HUVEC, follow the advanced protocol by trypsinizing these adherent cells first, then by incubating the cell pellet with the transfection complex. If you are unsure of which protocol to use for your cells, it is recommended to use the general protocol as a starting point. If you get less than 5% efficiency when using the general protocol, you are encouraged to try using the advanced protocol instead.