A two-stage perfusion fibrous bed bioreactor system for mass production of embryonic stem cells.
BACKGROUND
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have unlimited proliferation potential and can differentiate into all cell and tissue types, and thus are ideal sources for cell therapy and drug screening. Current supplies of ESCs are limited by the available cell sources and inefficient culture methods that grow ESCs on surfaces coated with expensive extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and in media containing expensive growth factors.


OBJECTIVE
To meet the demand for ESCs, it is necessary to develop an economical process for their mass production.


METHODS
We review the latest development in in vitro ESC culture and introduce a two-stage perfusion bioreactor system that uses 3-D fibrous matrices and conditioned media for production of ESCs.


CONCLUSIONS
The two-stage process can produce billions of ESCs in a small bioreactor without using ECM proteins and growth factors, and is promising for further scale-up for clinical applications.
Eli Lilly and Company, Bioprocess Research and Development, Lilly Corporate Center, DC 3945, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA.
Anli
A
Ouyang
Shang-Tian
ST
Yang
D000818:Animals; D019149:Bioreactors; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D010477:Perfusion; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned