Pluripotent Cell Lines Grown on Different Substrates and Surfaces

Abstract

As stated in Chap. 2, the use of inactivated fibroblasts as feedersfor the derivation, expansion and maintenance of pluripotent stemcells (PSCs) is still the predominant method used in most laboratories.These cells hold great promise for clinical utility in the fieldof regenerative medicine and are useful tools in areas such as toxicologyand the development of disease models. However, these applicationsrequire defined and refined culture systems, which are essentialto ensure that processes and assay systems are reliable, reproducible,robust, efficacious and safe. A feeder-free system also facilitatesactivities such as the scale-up of processes and high-throughputscreening. In the clinical setting, the ultimate goal is to producea culture system that is xeno-free (free of animal products), inwhich the culture medium is chemically defined and the cell culturesubstrate is a defined synthetic matrix. Amongst the advantages ofdefined xeno-free culture systems is the amelioration of intrinsicbatch-to-batch variation introduced into the system via the use ofbiological products, as well as a reduction in the risk of contaminationwith viruses associated with animal products.