Overview
Project status: In progress
To realise the full clinical potential of human embryonic stem (hES) cells, culture methods that do not involve animal products or purified/non-defined factors must be utilised. This requires removal of animal feeder-cells, serum and any other animal-derived products.
We have used a subtractive proteomic approach to analyse the components in culture medium that are produced by the feeder cell layer in the presence and absence of hES cells. This information was subsequently used to add selected candidate factors in recombinant form to develop a serum-free and feeder cell-free culture system for hES cells. hES cell lines (BGV01 and HUES2) have been cultured successfully for over 30 passages using this new serum-free and feeder cell-free formulation.
- Research team
- QUT External collaborators Sean Richards
- Organisational unit
- Lead unit Faculty of Science and Technology
- Research area
- Cell and Molecular Biosciences
Dr Kerry Manton
Professor Zee UptonDetails
Serum-free and feeder-free culture
The media developed in our laboratory contains very few growth factors and ECM protein components and these are used at concentrations lower than those previously published by others. Furthermore, these are all recombinant. Together, this substantially reduces the cost of culturing these cells and makes large-scale hES culture for therapeutic applications a realistic possibility for the first time.
Publications and output
- Van Lonkhuyzen DR, Hollier BG, Shooter GK, Leavesley DI, Upton Z., "Chimeric vitronectin:insulin-like growth factor proteins enhance cell growth and migration through co-activation of receptors.", 2007. 25(5):295-308.
