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StemSpan™ SFEM II

Serum-free medium for culture and expansion of hematopoietic cells

StemSpan™ SFEM II

Serum-free medium for culture and expansion of hematopoietic cells

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Serum-free medium for culture and expansion of hematopoietic cells
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Overview

StemSpan™ Serum-Free Expansion Medium II (SFEM II) is a modified version of StemSpan™ SFEM. It has been developed for the in vitro culture and expansion of human hematopoietic cells. This medium contains pre-tested bovine serum albumin, insulin, transferrin, and other supplements in Iscove’s MDM. Recombinant hematopoietic growth factors, required for the optimal growth and expansion of hematopoietic cells, have not been added to StemSpan™ SFEM II. This allows users the flexibility to prepare medium that meets their requirements.

Using appropriate cytokines (e.g. StemSpan™ CC100, StemSpan™ CC110, or StemSpan™ CD34+ Expansion Supplement), StemSpan™ SFEM II can be used for the expansion of total nucleated cells and CD34+ cells from cord blood, bone marrow, or other cell sources. StemSpan™ SFEM II can also be used to expand and differentiate lineage-committed progenitor cells to generate erythroblasts, granulocytes, monocytes, or megakaryocytes when used with StemSpan™ Erythroid Expansion Supplement (Catalog #02692), StemSpan™ Myeloid Expansion Supplement (Catalog #02693), StemSpan™ Myeloid Expansion Supplement II (Catalog #02694), or StemSpan™ Megakaryocyte Expansion Supplement (Catalog #02696), respectively.
Contains
• Iscove’s MDM
• Bovine serum albumin
• Recombinant human insulin
• Human transferrin (iron-saturated)
• 2-Mercaptoethanol
• Supplements
Subtype
Specialized Media
Cell Type
Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells
Species
Human
Application
Cell Culture, Expansion
Brand
StemSpan
Area of Interest
Stem Cell Biology, Transplantation Research
Formulation Category
Serum-Free

Data Figures

Expansion of CD34 + Human Cord Blood Cells Cultured in StemSpan™ Media Containing CC100 Cytokine Cocktail

Figure 1. Expansion of CD34+ Human Cord Blood Cells Cultured in StemSpan™ Media Containing CC100 Cytokine Cocktail

Purified CD34+ human cord blood (CB) cells were suspended at a concentration of 10,000 per mL in StemSpan™ SFEM (dark gray bars), SFEM II (blue bars) and AOF (orange bars) media containing CC100 Cytokine Cocktail (Catalog #02690). Cultures were maintained for 7 days, after which the cells were counted and examined for CD34 and CD45 expression by flow cytometry. Shown are the fold expansion of total nucleated cells (TNC) (A) and CD34+ cells (B) per input CD34+ cell, and the percent CD34 + cells (C). Results represent the average results of 32 different CB samples. Vertical lines indicate 95% confidence limits, the range within which 95% of results fall. The numbers of cells produced in StemSpan™ SFEM II were significantly higher than in StemSpan™ SFEM and StemSpan™-AOF (*p<0.001, paired t-test, n=32).

Note: Data for StemSpan™-AOF shown were generated with the original phenol red-containing version StemSpan™-ACF (Catalog #09855). However internal testing showed that the performance of the new phenol red-free, cGMP-manufactured version, StemSpan™-AOF (Catalog #100-0130) was comparable.

StemSpan™ SFEM II Serum-Free Expansion Medium Containing CC100 Cytokine Cocktail Supports Greater Expansion of Human CD34 + Cells Than Other Media Tested

Figure 2. Expansion of CD34+ Human Cord Blood Cells Cultured in StemSpan™ Media Containing CD34+ Expansion Supplement

Purified CD34+ human cord blood (CB) cells were suspended at a concentration of 10,000 per mL in StemSpan™ SFEM (dark gray bars), SFEM II (blue bars) and AOF (orange bars) media containing CD34+ Expansion Supplement (Catalog #02691). Cultures were maintained for 7 days, after which the cells were counted and examined for CD34 and CD45 expression by flow cytometry. The number of colony-forming units (CFU) in the expanded population was determined by replating cells in MethoCult™ H4435 and counting the number of colonies produced 14 days later. Shown are the fold expansion of total nucleated cells (TNC) (A), CD34+ cells (B) and CFU numbers (C) per input CD34+ cell, and the percent CD34+ cells (D) in these cultures (n=6). Vertical lines indicate 95% confidence limits, the range within which 95% of results fall. The numbers of cells produced in StemSpan™ SFEM II was significantly higher than in SFEM and AOF (*p<0.001, #p<0.05, paired t-test, n=6).

Note: Data for StemSpan™-AOF shown were generated with the original phenol red-containing version StemSpan™-ACF (Catalog #09855). However internal testing showed that the performance of the new phenol red-free, cGMP-manufactured version, StemSpan™-AOF (Catalog #100-0130) was comparable.

Expansion of CD34 + Human Cord Blood Cells Cultured in StemSpan™ Media Containing CD34 + Expansion Supplement

Figure 3. StemSpan™ Media Support Greater Expansion of Human CD34+ and CD34bright Cells than Other Commercial Media

Purified CB-derived CD34+ cells were cultured for 7 days in select StemSpan™ media (StemSpan™ SFEM, StemSpan™ SFEM II, StemSpan™-XF, or StemSpan™-AOF, orange bars), and in five xeno-free media formulations from other suppliers (Xeno-Free Commercial Alternative, grey bars) including (in random order) CTS™ StemPro™ HSC (Thermo), SCGM (Cellgenix), X-VIVO™ 15 (Lonza), Stemline™ II (Sigma), and StemPro™-34 (Thermo). All media were supplemented with StemSpan™ CD34+ Expansion Supplement and UM171*. The (A) frequency and (B) cell expansion of viable CD34+ and CD34bright cells in culture were based on viable cell counts and flow cytometry results as shown in Figure 1. StemSpan™ showed significantly higher expansion of CD34+ and CD34bright cells (P < 0.05 when comparing StemSpan™ SFEM II to five media from other suppliers, calculated using a one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s post hoc test) and StemSpan™-AOF, the only animal origin-free formulation, showed equivalent performance to all xeno-free commericals alternatives tested. Data shown are mean ± SEM (n = 8).

Note: Data for StemSpan™-AOF shown were generated with the original phenol red-containing version StemSpan™-ACF (Catalog #09855). However internal testing showed that the performance of the new phenol red-free, cGMP-manufactured version, StemSpan™-AOF (Catalog #100-0130) was comparable. *Similar results are expected when using UM729 (Catalog #72332) prepared to a final concentration of 1μM. For more information including data comparing UM171 and UM729, see Fares et al., 2014.

StemSpan™ SFEM II Serum-Free Expansion Medium Containing Megakaryocyte Expansion Supplement Supports Greater Expansion of Megakaryocytes Than Other Media Tested

Figure 4. StemSpan™ Media Support Equal or Greater Expansion of Primitive Human CD34brightCD90+CD45RA- Cells Than Other Commercial Media

Purified CB-derived CD34+ cells were cultured for 7 days in select StemSpan™ media (StemSpan™ SFEM, StemSpan™ SFEM II, StemSpan™-XF, or StemSpan™-AOF, orange bars), and in five xeno-free media formulations from other suppliers (Commercial Alternative, grey bars) including (in random order) CTS StemPro HSC (Thermo), SCGM (Cellgenix), X-VIVO 15 (Lonza), Stemline II (Sigma), and StemPro 34 (Thermo). All media were supplemented with StemSpan™ CD34+ Expansion Supplement and UM171*. The (A) frequency and (B) cell expansion of CD34+CD90+CD45RA- (solid) and CD34brightCD90+CD45RA-(dotted overlay) cells in culture were based on viable cell counts and flow cytometry results as shown in Figure 1. StemSpan™ media showed similar or significantly higher expansion of CD34brightCD90+CD45RA- cells (P < 0.05 compared to five media from other suppliers, calculated using one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s post hoc test) and StemSpan™-AOF, the only animal origin-free formulation tested, showed equivalent performance to all xeno-free commercial alternatives tested. Data shown are mean ± SEM (n = 8).

Note: Data for StemSpan™-AOF shown were generated with the original phenol red-containing version StemSpan™-ACF (Catalog #09855). However internal testing showed that the performance of the new phenol red-free, cGMP-manufactured version, StemSpan™-AOF (Catalog #100-0130) was comparable.

*Similar results are expected when using UM729 (Catalog #72332) prepared to a final concentration of 1μM. For more information including data comparing UM171 and UM729, see Fares et al. 2014.

StemSpan™ SFEM II Serum-Free Expansion Medium Containing Megakaryocyte Expansion Supplement Supports Greater Expansion of Megakaryocytes Than Other Media Tested

Figure 5. StemSpan™ SFEM II Serum-Free Expansion Medium Containing Erythroid Expansion Supplement Supports Greater Expansion of Erythroid Cells Than Other Media Tested

The numbers of erythroid cells, normalized relative to the values obtained in StemSpan™ SFEM medium (dark gray bar), obtained after culturing purified CD34+ CB cells for 14 days in StemSpan™ SFEM, SFEM II (blue bar) and AOF (orange bar), and six media from other commercial suppliers (light gray bars, commercial alternative 1-6, which included, in random order, X-Vivo-15 and HPGM (both from Lonza), StemLine II (Sigma), HP01 (Macopharma), StemPro34 (Life Technologies) and SCGM (Cellgenix). All media were supplemented with StemSpan™ Erythroid Expansion Supplement (Catalog #02692). Vertical lines indicate 95% confidence limits, the range within which 95% of results fall. The numbers of cells produced in StemSpan™ SFEM II were significantly higher than in all other media (*p<0.05, paired t-test, n=6).

Note: Data for StemSpan™-AOF shown were generated with the original phenol red-containing version StemSpan™-ACF (Catalog #09855). However internal testing showed that the performance of the new phenol red-free, cGMP-manufactured version, StemSpan™-AOF (Catalog #100-0130) was comparable.

StemSpan™ SFEM II Serum-Free Expansion Medium Containing Megakaryocyte Expansion Supplement Supports Greater Expansion of Megakaryocytes Than Other Media Tested

Figure 6. StemSpan™ SFEM II Serum-Free Expansion Medium Containing Megakaryocyte Expansion Supplement Supports Greater Expansion of Megakaryocytes Than Other Media Tested

The numbers of megakaryocytes, normalized relative to the values obtained in StemSpan™ SFEM medium (dark gray bar), obtained after culturing purified CD34+ CB cells for 14 days in StemSpan™ SFEM, SFEM II (blue bar) and AOF (orange bar), and six media from other commercial suppliers (light gray bars, Commercial Alternative 1-6, which included, in random order, StemLine II (Sigma), HPGM (Lonza), HP01 (Macopharma), SCGM (Cellgenix), StemPro34 (Life Technologies) and X-Vivo-15 (Lonza). All media were supplemented with StemSpan™ Megakaryocyte Expansion Supplement (Catalog #02696). Vertical lines indicate 95% confidence limits, the range within which 95% of results fall. The numbers of cells produced in the StemSpan™ media were significantly higher than in the other media (*p<0.01 paired t-test, n=6).

Note: Data for StemSpan™-AOF shown were generated with the original phenol red-containing version StemSpan™-ACF (Catalog #09855). However internal testing showed that the performance of the new phenol red-free, cGMP-manufactured version, StemSpan™-AOF (Catalog #100-0130) was comparable.

Table 1. Production of Myeloid Cells from Human CB CD34+ Cells Cultured in SFEM II Containing Myeloid Expansion Supplement or Myeloid Expansion Supplement ll

StemSpan™ SFEM II Serum-Free Expansion Medium Containing Erythroid Expansion Supplement Supports Greater Expansion of Erythroid Cells Than Other Media Tested

Shown are numbers of total nucleated cells (TNCs) produced per input human CB-derived CD34+ cell and percentages of cells positive for myeloid markers CD13, CD14 and CD15 after 14 days of culture in SFEM II containing Myeloid Expansion Supplement (n = 14) or Myeloid Expansion Supplement II (n = 16). *95% confidence limits (CL); the range within which 95% of results typically fall.

Protocols and Documentation

Find supporting information and directions for use in the Product Information Sheet or explore additional protocols below.

Document Type
Product Name
Catalog #
Lot #
Language
Document Type
Product Name
Catalog #
09605, 09655
Lot #
All
Language
English
Document Type
Product Name
Catalog #
09605, 09655
Lot #
All
Language
English

Applications

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Resources and Publications

Educational Materials (23)

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Publications (57)

MDM4 enables efficient human iPS cell generation from PBMCs using synthetic RNAs M. Nakagawa et al. Scientific Reports 2025 Sep

Abstract

If iPS cells can be established easily and efficiently using freshly collected blood cells, it will enhance regenerative and personalized medicine. While reports of iPS derivation from blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells using RNA have been documented, none have been reported from peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In this study, we established a method to generate iPS cells from PBMCs using synthetic RNAs and found that MDM4, which suppresses p53, improved reprogramming efficiency. Subject terms: Reprogramming, Induced pluripotent stem cells
Targeting triple-negative breast cancer using cord-blood CD34⁺ HSPC-derived mesothelin-specific CAR-NKT cells with potent antitumor activity Li et al. Journal of Hematology & Oncology 2025 Oct

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer characterized by the lack of ER, PR, and HER2 expression. Its aggressive behavior, high degree of tumor heterogeneity, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) are associated with poor clinical outcomes, rapid disease progression, and limited therapeutic options. Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cell therapy has shown certain promise, its applicability in TNBC is hindered by antigen escape, TME-mediated suppression, and the logistical constraints of autologous cell production. In this study, we employed hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) gene engineering and a feeder-free HSPC differentiation culture to generate allogeneic IL-15-enhanced, mesothelin-specific CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T ( Allo15 MCAR-NKT) cells. These cells demonstrated robust and multifaceted antitumor activity against TNBC, mediated by CAR- and NK receptor-dependent cytotoxicity, as well as selective targeting of CD1d + TME immunosuppressive cells through their TCR. In both orthotopic and metastatic TNBC xenograft models, Allo15 MCAR-NKT cells demonstrated potent antitumor activity, associated with robust effector and cytotoxic phenotypes, low exhaustion, and a favorable safety profile without inducing graft-versus-host disease. Together, these results support Allo15 MCAR-NKT cells as a next-generation, off-the-shelf immunotherapy with strong therapeutic potential for TNBC, particularly in the context of metastasis, immune evasion, and treatment resistance. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13045-025-01736-9.
Multiplex base editing to protect from CD33 directed drugs for immune and gene therapy F. Borot et al. Nature Communications 2025 May

Abstract

The selection of genetically engineered immune or hematopoietic cells in vivo after gene editing remains a clinical problem and requires a method to spare on-target toxicity to normal cells. Here, we develop a base editing approach exploiting a naturally occurring CD33 single nucleotide polymorphism leading to removal of full-length CD33 surface expression on edited cells. CD33 editing in human and nonhuman primate hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells protects myeloid progeny from CD33-targeted therapeutics without affecting normal hematopoiesis in vivo, thus demonstrating potential for improved immunotherapies with reduced off-leukemia toxicity. For broader application to gene therapies, we demonstrate highly efficient (>70%) multiplexed adenine base editing of the CD33 and gamma globin genes, resulting in long-term persistence of dual gene-edited cells with HbF reactivation in nonhuman primates. Using the CD33 antibody-drug conjugate Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin, we show resistance of engrafted, multiplex edited human cells in vivo, and a 2-fold enrichment for edited cells in vitro. Together, our results highlight the potential of adenine base editors for improved immune and gene therapies. Subject terms: Haematopoietic stem cells, Bone marrow transplantation, Cell biology