Cell Culture Medium Composition and Translational Adult Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cell Research

¹ CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Groupe d'Etude des Cellules d'Origine Médullaire (GECOM), Hématologie Biologique, Hôtel-Dieu, Clermont-Ferrand Cedex 1, France

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mberger{at}chu-clermontferrand.fr.

	Abstract

For most therapeutic strategies using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC), the preliminary amplification is carried out in media containing fetal calf serum (FCS). The theoretical health risk of using a xenogenic serum, a recent practice for which we have limited data, cannot be underestimated, while amplification using human serum (HS) remains controversial. At present, the available information on multi-potentiality, self-renewal and transplantability does not permit the selection of FCS rather than HS. Cellular modifications observed during cell passage seem to indicate a gradual impairment of cells in relation to native MSC, suggesting the making of short cell cultures without necessarily trying to re-infuse a high number of MSC in patients. With this approach, the volume of HS required would remain limited. Whilst clinical studies have already started, many problems remain; such as evaluating the quality of the initial mesenchymal compartment and the biological properties of the cell suspension with FCS compared to those with HS, and depending on culture time.