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Table 3 Commercially available serum-free media for hESC and hiPSC culture

From: Human embryonic stem cell cultivation: historical perspective and evolution of xeno-free culture systems

Medium

Source (Catalog#)

Basal medium/protein/select supplements

XF

CD

ESF

Cell Science & Technology

ESF basal medium// FAF-BSA conjugated with oleic acid

N

N

FGF-2, LIF, insulin, transferrin, selenium, ascorbic acid, β-mercaptoethanol

mTeSR1

Stemcell Technologies (#05850)

DMEM/F12/BSA

N

N

bFGF, TGFβ, insulin, transferrin, cholesterol, lipids, pipecolic acid, GABA, β-mercaptoethanol

TeSR1 a

Stemcell Technologies

DMEM/F12 /HSA

Y

N

bFGF, TGFβ, insulin, transferrin, cholesterol, lipids, pipecolic acid, GABA, β-mercaptoethanol

TeSR2

Stemcell Technologies (#05860)

DMEM/F12 // with recombinant HSA

Y

Y

bFGF, TGFβ, insulin, transferrin, cholesterol, lipids, pipecolic acid, GABA, β-mercaptoethanol

E8

Stemcell Technologies (#05940)

DMEM/F12

Y

Y

bFGF, TGFβ, insulin, transferrin, selenium, ascorbic acid

TESR-E8

Stemcell Technologies (#05940)

Medium based on E8 formulation

Y

Y

Nutristem XF/FF

Stemgent (#010005)

Basal medium/ HSA

Y

N

bFGF, TGFβ, insulin, transferrin

StemPro

Life Technologies (#A1000701)

DMEM/F12/BSA

N

N

bFGF, TGFβ, Activin, transferrin, LR3-IGF1, HRG1β

X-Vivo 10

Lonza (#04380Q)

Basal medium/ HSA-pharmaceutical grade purification

Y

Y

bFGF, hFLT3, transferrin, β-mercaptoethanol

Neutrodoma-CS

Roche (11363743001)

Neural basal medium.Neutrodoma-CS/HSA

Y

N

bFGF, Activin, Neurotrophins

PluriStem

Millipore (#SCM130)

DMEM//F12, HSA

Y

N

Activin-A, TGFβ1, b-FGF, lipids, insulin, transferrin, selenium

dorsomorphin (DM), IWP-2

HyClone HyCellStem

GE healthcare life sciences (#SR30003.KT)

DMEM//F12; BSA

Y

N

bFGF, insulin,

PSGro

Stem RD (#SC500M-1)

DMEM//F12 with recombinant HSA

Y

Y

bFGF, TGFβ1, insulin,transferrrin, selenium, lipids

StemFit

Ajinomoto Co.

Basal medium, HSA

Y

N

bFGF

  1. Table 3 contains a list of commercially available media that can be used for serum free culture of HESCs and hiPSCs.
  2. XF xeno-free, no animal components in medium.
  3. CD chemically defined medium (excludes any media containing BSA or HSA fraction due to their unknown and variable composition).
  4. aOriginal formulation similar to mTESR1 but with HSA fraction. Replaced by TESR2 with recombinant form of HSA.