Toward xeno-free culture of human embryonic stem cells.
The culture of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is limited, both technically and with respect to clinical potential, by the use of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) as a feeder layer. The concern over xenogeneic contaminants from the mouse feeder cells may restrict transplantation to humans and the variability in MEFs from batch-to-batch and laboratory-to-laboratory may contribute to some of the variability in experimental results. Finally, use of any feeder layer increases the work load and subsequently limits the large-scale culture of human ES cells. Thus, the development of feeder-free cultures will allow more reproducible culture conditions, facilitate scale-up and potentiate the clinical use of cells differentiated from hESC cultures. In this review, we describe various methods tested to culture cells in the absence of MEF feeder layers and other advances in eliminating xenogeneic products from the culture system.
NIH Stem Cell Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. mallonb@mail.nih.gov
Barbara S
BS
Mallon
Kye-Yoon
KY
Park
Kevin G
KG
Chen
Rebecca S
RS
Hamilton
Ronald D G
RD
McKay
D000818:Animals; D015478:Antigens, Heterophile / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects
D015478:Antigens, Heterophile; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D011994:Recombinant Proteins