| BrdU | - Direct measurement of DNA synthesis
- Strong linear correlation with increasing cell numbers
- Compatible with cell sorters and microscopy
| - Requires fixation and DNA denaturation
- Cannot quantify cell number
- Associated health risks
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| EdU | - Increased selectivity in comparison to BrdU
- Simple, fast and reliable
- High sensitivity
- Very low toxicity
- Provides multiplexing possibilities
| - Relatively expensive
- Limited to cells that can be labeled with EdU
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| Bucculite™ XdU or FdU | - No DNA denaturation needed
- Does not rely on antibodies
- Preserves cell morphology, antigen-binding sites, and sample integrity
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| Tetrazolium Salt | - Simple and inexpensive
- Measures metabolic activity of the cells
- Easy to perform
- Suitable for high-throughput screening
| - Metabolic behavior tends to be variable under different cell culture conditions
- Standards must be built, and are not typically provided
- Requires use of phenol red free media due to potential interference
- Not suitable for non-adherent cells
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| Resazurin | - Low toxicity
- Inexpensive
- Highly sensitive
- Great for long-term studies with various cell types
- Allows for real-time monitoring
| - Prone to fluorescence interference
- Data might be affected by cell density and media composition
- Determining inhibition kinetics and optimizing the procedure remains challenging
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