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Reduce variability in your human mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC; also known as mesenchymal stem cell) cultures and improve experimental reproducibility by using this animal component-free (ACF) and extracellular vesicle (EV)-free medium. MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium is optimized so you can derive human MSCs from multiple sources, such as bone marrow or adipose tissue, without serum.
Compared to serum-containing or EV-depleted serum-containing media, MSCs cultured with this kit expand more efficiently (rate and cumulative cell total) and without compromising function. The cultured cells exhibit characteristic MSC surface marker expression and retain robust expansion rate and trilineage differentiation capacities.
MesenCult™-ACF Plus Medium Kit is specifically designed for deriving, expanding, and cryopreserving MSCs, as well as differentiating human pluripotent stem cells into mesenchymal progenitors—that is optimized for efficient and consistent MSC cultures.
For animal component-free and optimized cryopreservation, MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Freezing Medium is recommended for human MSCs previously cultured in MesenCultâ„¢ media, including MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus. For a complete list of related products, including available differentiation media, explore our MSC area of interest page or contact us at techsupport@stemcell.com.
NOTE: Complete MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium must be supplemented with L-Glutamine. It is also intended to be used in conjunction with Animal Component-Free Cell Attachment Substrate, which is available as part of the MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Culture Kit.
is the manufacturer of the rhCollagen component of the cell attachment substrate.
Subtype
Specialized Media
Cell Type
Mesenchymal Cells, PSC-Derived, Mesenchymal Stem and Progenitor Cells
Figure 1. CFU-F Assay of Human BM-Derived MSCs Expanded in MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium and Commercial Media.
(A) An average of 45 CFU-Fs per million cells were observed when BM mononuclear cells were seeded in MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus (n = 4). An average of 47 and 25 CFU-Fs per million cells were observed when cells were seeded in Commercial Medium 1 (n = 3) and Medium 2 (n = 4), respectively. Vertical lines indicate Standard Error of Mean (SEM). Representative image of CFU-F colonies expanded in (B) MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium (9 days of culture), (C) Commercial Medium 1 (10 days of culture) and (D) Commercial Medium 2 (10 days of culture). Commercial Medium 1 and Medium 2 were supplemented with 2.5% human AB serum to derive MSCs from BM, as per their protocols for derivation. No addition of serum is required when using MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium.
Figure 2. Human BM-Derived MSCs Cultured in MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium Expand Faster than MSCs Cultured in Commercial Xeno-Free and Serum-Free Media.
(A) A greater number of BM-derived MSCs were generated per passage using MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium (n=4) compared to Commercial Medium 1 (n=3) and Commercial Medium 2 (n=2). (B) Rates of BM-derived MSC expansion were compared between MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium, Commercial Medium 1, and Commercial Medium 2. The time required to double the number of MSCs using MesenCultâ„¢ -ACF Plus Medium (n=4) was shorter than when MSCs were cultured in Commercial Medium 1 (n=3) and Commercial Medium 2 (n=4). Vertical lines indicate Standard Error of Mean (SEM).
Figure 3. Human BM-Derived MSCs Expanded in MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium Display Multi-Lineage Differentiation Potential.
(A) Human BM-derived MSCs expanded in MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium differentiated into (B) adipocytes (Oil Red O staining; passage 5), (C) chondrocytes (Alcian Blue staining; passage 4) and (D) osteoblasts (Alizarin Red S staining; passage 5).
Figure 4. Flow Cytometric Analysis of MSCs Cultured in MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium.
BM-derived MSCs were cultured and expanded in MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium. At passage 8 MSCs were stained for mesenchymal surface markers (CD73, CD90, CD105,), pericyte marker (CD146) and hematopoietic marker (CD45). MSCs expressed high levels of CD73, CD90, CD105 and CD146 and lacked expression of CD45.
This product is designed for use in the following research area(s) as part
of the highlighted workflow stage(s). Explore these workflows to learn more about the other products we
offer to support each research area.
Optimizing mesenchymal stem cell therapy: from isolation to GMP-compliant expansion for clinical application
M. E. Williams et al.
BMC Molecular and Cell Biology 2025 May
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising for cell-based therapies targeting a wide range of diseases. However, challenges in translating MSC-based therapies to clinical applications necessitate standardized protocols following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines. This study aimed at developing GMP-complained protocols for FPMSCs isolation and manipulation, necessary for translational research, by (1) optimize culture of MSCs derived from an infrapatellar fat pad (FPMSC) condition through animal-free media comparison and (2) establish feasibility of MSC isolation, manufacturing and storage under GMP-compliance (GMP-FPMSC). FPMSCs from three different patients were isolated following established protocols and the efficacy of two animal component-free media formulations in the culturing media were evaluated. The impact of different media formulations on cell proliferation, purity, and potency of MSCs was evaluated through doubling time, colony forming unit assay, and percentage of MSCs, respectively. Furthermore, the isolation and expansion of GMP-FPMSCs from four additional donors were optimized and characterized at each stage according to GMP requirements. Viability and sterility were checked using Trypan Blue and Bact/Alert, respectively, while purity and identity were confirmed using Endotoxin, Mycoplasma assays, and Flow Cytometry. The study also included stability assessments post-thaw and viability assessment to determine the shelf-life of the final GMP-FPMSC product. Statistical analyses were conducted using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s Multiple Comparisons. The study demonstrated that FPMSCs exhibited enhanced proliferation rates when cultured in MSC-Brew GMP Medium compared to standard MSC media. Cells cultured in this media showed lower doubling times across passages, indicating increased proliferation. Additionally, higher colony formation in FPMSCs cultured in MSC-Brew GMP Medium were observed, supporting enhanced potency. Data from our GMP validation, including cells from 4 different donors, showed post-thaw GMP-FPMSC maintained stem cell marker expression and all the specifications required for product release, including > 95% viability (> 70% is required) and sterility, even after extended storage (up to 180 days), demonstrating the reproducibility and potential of GMP-FPMSCs for clinical use as well as the robustness of the isolation and storage protocols. The study underscores the feasibility of FPMSCs for clinical uses under GMP conditions and emphasizes the importance of optimized culture protocols to improve cell proliferation and potency in MSC-based therapies. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12860-025-00539-7.
A microfluidic bone marrow chip for the safety profiling of biologics in pre-clinical drug development
L. Koenig et al.
Communications Biology 2025 May
Abstract
Hematologic adverse events are common dose-limiting toxicities in drug development. Classical animal models for preclinical safety assessment of immunotherapies are often limited due to insufficient cross-reactivity with non-human homologous proteins, immune system differences, and ethical considerations. Therefore, we evaluate a human bone marrow (BM) microphysiological system (MPS) for its ability to predict expected hematopoietic liabilities of immunotherapeutics. The BM-MPS consists of a closed microfluidic circuit containing a ceramic scaffold covered with human mesenchymal stromal cells and populated with human BM-derived CD34+ cells in chemically defined growth factor-enriched media. The model supports on-chip differentiation of erythroid, myeloid and NK cells from CD34+ cells over 31 days. The hematopoietic lineage balance and output is responsive to pro-inflammatory factors and cytokines. Treatment with a transferrin receptor-targeting IgG1 antibody results in inhibition of on-chip erythropoiesis. The immunocompetence of the chip is established by the addition of peripheral blood T cells in a fully autologous setup. Treatment with T cell bispecific antibodies induces T cell activation and target cell killing consistent with expected on-target off-tumor toxicities. In conclusion, this study provides a proof-of-concept that this BM-MPS is applicable for in vitro hematopoietic safety profiling of immunotherapeutics. Subject terms: Biologics, Haematopoiesis, Lab-on-a-chip, Drug safety
Autologous iPSC- and MSC-derived chondrocyte implants for cartilage repair in a miniature pig model
Lee et al.
Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 Feb
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs) have greater potential for generating chondrocytes without hypertrophic and fibrotic phenotypes compared to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BMSCs). However, there is a lack of research demonstrating the use of autologous iMSCs for repairing articular chondral lesions in large animal models. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of autologous miniature pig (minipig) iMSC-chondrocyte (iMSC-Ch)-laden implants in comparison to autologous BMSC-chondrocyte (BMSC-Ch)-laden implants for cartilage repair in porcine femoral condyles. iMSCs and BMSCs were seeded into fibrin glue/nanofiber constructs and cultured with chondrogenic induction media for 7 days before implantation. To assess the regenerative capacity of the cells, 19 skeletally mature Yucatan minipigs were randomly divided into microfracture control, acellular scaffold, iMSC, and BMSC subgroups. A cylindrical defect measuring 7Â mm in diameter and 0.6Â mm in depth was created on the articular cartilage surface without violating the subchondral bone. The defects were then left untreated or treated with acellular or cellular implants. Both cellular implant-treated groups exhibited enhanced joint repair compared to the microfracture and acellular control groups. Immunofluorescence analysis yielded significant findings, showing that cartilage treated with iMSC-Ch implants exhibited higher expression of COL2A1 and minimal to no expression of COL1A1 and COL10A1, in contrast to the BMSC-Ch-treated group. This indicates that the iMSC-Ch implants generated more hyaline cartilage-like tissue compared to the BMSC-Ch implants. Our findings contribute to filling the knowledge gap regarding the use of autologous iPSC derivatives for cartilage repair in a translational animal model. Moreover, these results highlight their potential as a safe and effective therapeutic strategy. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-025-04215-7.
Animal component-free medium for the differentiation of MSCs into chondrocytes
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MesenCultâ„¢-ACF Plus Medium
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