CULTURE MEDIA, CELL CULTURES AND METHODS OF CULTURING PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS IN AN UNDIFFERENTIATED STATE

摘要

Provided are serum-free culture media which comprise basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), transforming growth factor beta-3, ascorbic acid, xeno-free serum replacement and a lipid mixture, the media may also compris an IL6R/IL6 chimera, or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF); wherein the culture medium is capable of maintaining pluripotent stem cells in an undifferentiated state in the absence of feeder cell support. Also provided are cell cultures comprising pluripotent stem cells such as human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.and methods of using the same for expanding pluripotent stem cells in an undifferentiated state using two-dimensional or three-dimensional culture systems. Methods of expanding iPS cells in a suspension culture devoid of substrate adherence and cell encapsulation are also provided.