ArticleStem cell research & therapy2025
Comparison of culture media supplements identifies serum components in self-reported serum-free preparations.
Article in Stem cell research & therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Toward clinically relevant automated corneal biomanufacturing with human-derived FBS alternatives.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- An animal component-free bioprocess for synthesizing 3D human matrix scaffolds using mesenchymal stromal cells.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCell culture media are essential for cell expansion and many cells still depend on blood-derived supplements for optimal growth. From a regulatory perspective, these materials are ideally xeno-free, serum-free or even chemically defined. However, differences in composition and in performance are seldom clear from the terminology used in this field.
methodsTherefore, we set out to investigate the presence of serum in seven serum-free media (SFM) and link that information to the performance and cost. We used fetal bovine serum and five human platelet lysate preparations (hPL) for comparison.
resultsOur data show significant differences in growth factor content between categories, but this did not correlate with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) growth kinetics or maximal cell yield. Myeloperoxidase, glycocalicin and fibrinogen, derived from human leukocytes, platelets and plasma were detected at significant levels in 2 from 7 SFM. MSC cultured in these two SFM had a CD44-phenotype akin to hPL, essentially reclassifying them as hPL. Most SFM supported MSC expansion well, but some did not. In contract, all hPL supported MSC growth. The cost of SFM is significantly higher than hPL.
conclusionsWe conclude that terminology regarding serum presence can be misleading. The cost-performance balance is best for hPL at this moment.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.