Human platelet lysate can replace fetal bovine serum for clinical-scale expansion of functional mesenchymal stromal cells.
BACKGROUND
Human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for a growing spectrum of regenerative and immunomodulatory cellular therapies. Translation of auspicious experimental results into clinical applications has been limited by the dependence of MSC propagation from fetal bovine serum (FBS).


METHODS
The capacity of human platelet lysate (HPL) to replace FBS for clinical-scale MSC propagation was analyzed.


RESULTS
HPL could be efficiently produced from buffy coats. Multiplex analyses allowed a distinct HPL growth factor profile to be delineated. With a previously established two-step clinical-scale procedure, HPL was reproducibly more efficient than FBS in supporting MSC outgrowth. With only 3 x 10(5) primary culture-derived MSCs, a mean of 4.36 x 10(8) HPL-MSCs (range, 3.01 x 10(8)-5.40 x 10(8)) was obtained within a single secondary 11- to 13-day culture step. Although morphologically distinct, HPL-MSCs and FBS-MSCs did not differ significantly in terms of immunophenotype, differentiation potential in vitro, and lack of tumorigenicity in nude mice in vivo.


CONCLUSIONS
Replacing FBS with HPL prevents bovine prion, viral, and zoonose contamination of the stem cell product. This new efficient FBS-free two-step procedure for clinical-scale MSC propagation may represent a major step toward challenging new stem cell therapies.
Schallmoser
Katharina
K
Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical University, Auenbrugger Platz 38, A-8036 Graz, Austria.
Bartmann
Christina
C
Rohde
Eva
E
Reinisch
Andreas
A
Kashofer
Karl
K
Stadelmeyer
Elke
E
Drexler
Camilla
C
Lanzer
Gerhard
G
Linkesch
Werner
W
Strunk
Dirk
D
D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology*
D003470:Culture Media