Growth Media

hESC

Human embryonic stem cells.

expansion media has only been commercially available since 2006. hESC expansion media has routinely been generated ‘in house’ by conditioning media on mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers. These methods prohibit the use of hESC lines in pre-clinical or clinical applications due to contamination of the hESC populations with mouse cells and/or secreted mouse cell components that may become incorporated into the hESCs.

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hESCs

Human embryonic stem cells.

More recent hESC expansion media includes fetal bovine serum (FBS) or knockout serum replacement

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Knockout Serum Replacement

Component of stem cell growth media required to provide factors for hESC expansion.

(KSR) instead of mouse embryonic fibroblast conditioned media. FBS is an undefined multi-component additive, and as such, serum-containing media prohibits use of the hESC line in pre-clinical or clinical applications. Serum-containing hESC expansion media is commercially available.

Still more recent hESC expansion media includes super-physiological levels of growth factors, to promote rapid cellular division. hESCs kept in highly proliferative states in this way do not require mouse embryonic fibroblast conditioned media or serum replacements. This variation of hESC expansion media will become commercially available in the summer of 2007. It is widely accepted in the field, and acknowledged by the manufacturers, that hESC growth for extended periods of time in such media is detrimental, as it results in premature differentiation of cells, death of cells, and genetic mutation. This media is also very expensive due to the high content of growth factors, rendering it undesirable for large scale use.

CSC’s hESC media is free from rodent components and contains only components that are fully defined, clinically relevant, and in the public domain. All of the components of our media are profiled, certified and qualified for clinical use. Furthermore, CSC’s hESC media was generated under Regulatory Quality Assurance Oversight, using Good Manufacturing Practice protocols that are FDA-compliant. As a result, CSC’s hESC media exceeds FDA-compliance criteria and is clinically relevant.

CSC’

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California Stem Cell

California Stem Cell - industry leader in scalable manufacture of high purity, clinically relevant human cells.

s media has a unique composition that does not include undefined rodent conditioned media, serum, or super-physiological concentrations of growth factors. The absence of unknown factors typically present in rodent conditioned media and serum replacements render it a superior research product, as it is free from undefined components that confound interpretation of the results of experimental manipulations. The absence of super-physiological concentrations of growth factors render the product useful for long term expansion of hESC lines without the premature differentiation of cells, death of cells, and genetic mutation associated with super-physiological concentrations of growth factors in media. This also confers the ability to price the product at a fraction of competitor’s products, as growth factors are the most expensive components of typical media.

Extensive refinement of CSC’s media has resulted in a recipe that contains the minimum number of reagents required for stable, long term hESC expansion. The fewer components in a media formulation, the easier it is to qualify the media for clinical use. This is a significant advantage over competitive technologies.