Culture Medium Study of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Practical Use of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that have potential to differentiate into various phenotypes and appear useful for therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Basal Medium (MSCBM; Cambrex) is a widespread and suitable medium used in MSC cultivation, but it is extremely difficult to use generally for clinical treatment because of its unclear traceability and cost. Assessment of cost-effectiveness is a critical issue for successful practical application; therefore, we have evaluated the effects of a generally used medium, Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (D-MEM) on the expansion of MSCs in comparison with MSCBM. To isolate human MSCs, bone marrow aspirates were taken and cultured in MSCBM or D-MEM. Proliferation assay indicated that MSCs isolated in both media showed a similar growth rate. When supplemented with osteo-inductive reagents, alkaline phosphatase activity was not significantly different between cells in D-MEM and MSCBM. Moreover, the cells expressed identical mesenchymal lineage markers, but not endothelial and hematopoietic lineage markers. Our findings suggest that cells obtained from bone marrow and cultured in D-MEM might possess proliferative capacity and the potential to differentiate into an osteogenic lineage. In conclusion, D-MEM might be a suitable basal medium for the cultivation of MSCs for clinical applications.