Journal Article

Human platelet lysate to substitute fetal bovine serum in hMSC expansion for translational applications: a systematic review

Raffoul, W., di Summa, P. G., Hart, A. M., Riehle, M. O., Guiotto, M.

2020

Overview

Background Foetal bovine serum (FBS), is the most commonly used culture medium additive for in vitro cultures, despite its undefined composition, its potential immunogenicity and possible prion/zoonotic transmission. For these reasons, significant efforts have been targeted at finding a substitute, such as serum free-media or human platelet-lysates (hPL). Our aim is to critically appraise the state-of-art for hPL in the published literature, comparing its impact with FBS. Materials and methods In June 2019 a systematic search of the entire Web of Science, Medline and PubMed database was performed with the following search terms: (mesenchymal stem cells) AND (fetal bovine serum OR fetal bovine calf) AND (human platelet lysate). Excluded from this search were review articles that were published before 2005, manuscripts in which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were not from human sources, and when the FBS controls were missing. Results Based on our search algorithm, 56 papers were selected. A review of these papers indicated that hMSCs cultured with hPL showed a spindle-shaped elongated morphology, had higher proliferation indexes, similar cluster of differentiation (CD) markers and no significant variation in differentiation lineage (osteocyte, adipocyte, and chondrocyte) compared to those cultured with FBS. Main sources of primary hMSCs were either fat tissue or bone marrow; in a few studies cells isolated from alternative sources showed no relevant difference in their response. Conclusion Despite the difference in medium choice and a lack of standardization of hPL manufacturing, the majority of publications support that hPL was at least as effective as FBS in promoting adhesion, survival and proliferation of hMSCs. We conclude that hPL should be considered a viable alternative to FBS in hMSCs culture—especially with a view for their clinical use.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adipose derived stem cells / Animals / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Blood Platelets / Bone marrow / Cartilage / Cattle / Cell / Cell culture / Cell Culture Techniques / Cell Differentiation / Cell Proliferation / Cell therapy / Cells, Cultured / Chondrocytes / Chondrogenesis / Culture Media / Fetal calf serum / Foetal bovine serum / Good Manufacturing Practice / Human platelet lysate / Humans / Immunogenicity / Insulin-like growth factors / Lysates / Medicine/Public Health / Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Mesenchyme / Plasma / Platelets / Pore size / Review / Reviews / Serum / Serum Albumin, Bovine / Standardization / Stem cell transplantation / Stem cells / tissue and gene therapy / Vascular endothelial growth factor