Biochemical formulation of chemically-defined and non-xenogeneic culture media for research and clinical applications of human stem cells

Abstract

Current methods of cell culture rely extensively on the use of growth media supplemented with sera and unknown animal-derived factors. The use of products containing unknown animal-derived components is being avoided in the development of reliable research models, and the presence of non-human components is not acceptable for therapeutic applications. The development of media composed of chemically-defined and non-xenogeneic compounds is thus desirable for reproducibility in research and a necessity for stem cell therapeutics. The use of nonxenogeneic media offers numerous advantages for controlling the propagation and differentiation of cells as well as preventing xeno-transfer of immunogens or pathogens. However, despite the development of media is highly desirable, the range and availability at present is quite limited. The approach to develop a chemically-defined medium consists of first identifying a suitable basal medium from which the cells can receive the required nutrition and then the addition of signaling factors which promote cell growth, preserve pluripotency or induce and direct differentiation, depending on the requirements of the culture system. So far, a number of chemically-defined and non-xenogeneic media formulations have been successfully developed, but these tend to be undisclosed proprietary formulations and cell-lineage specific. It is thus important to know how to prepare the desired medium from its components, when and why to use specific components and how to modify the system to best suit the cells in culture.