Proliferative feeder cells support prolonged expansion of human embryonic stem cells.
Long-term proliferation of human embryonic stem (hES) cells is currently achieved by co-culturing with mitotically inactive primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (mEFs), which serve as feeder cells. This study explores the possibility that proliferative mEFs can be used as feeder cells to maintain the prolonged expansion of hES cells. All undifferentiated hES cell clumps were re-plated on six different densities of proliferative mEFs. hES colonies cultured on 1 x 10(5) - 5 x 10(5) proliferative mEFs amplified over 130 days of continuous culture and remained undifferentiated, as did those cultured on mitotically inactive mEFs. This suggests that certain densities of proliferative mEFs can maintain the propagation of hES cells, which may be helpful for identifying the cytokines and adhesion molecules that are required for their self-renewal.
Xie
Chang-Qing
CQ
National Center of Human stem cell Research and Engineering, Institute of Human Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Lin
Ge
G
Yuan
Ding
D
Wang
Jian
J
Liu
Tian-Cheng
TC
Lu
Guang-Xiu
GX
D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*