Human platelet lysate as validated alternative to assess chemosensitivity
2019
University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Cell culture experiments represent an in vitro alternative to animal experiments. Fetal calf serum (FCS) is the most commonly used medium supplement worldwide. FCS contains a variable mixture of growth factors and cytokines that support cell proliferation. This undefined nature of FCS is a source of experimental variation, undesired immune responses, possible contaminations. Thus, alternative, defined, valid, and reliable medium supplements should be characterized in a large number of experiments. Human platelet lysate (hPL) is increasingly appreciated as an alternative to FCS. It was unclear whether cells respond differentially to clinically relevant chemotherapeutics inducing replicative stress and DNA damage, induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib, and novel epigenetic modifiers belonging to the group of histone deacetylase inhibitors. This study shows that cancer cells derived from leukaemia and colon cancer grow very similarly in culture media supplemented with FCS or hPL. Notably, cells have practically identical proteomes under both culture conditions. Moreover, cells grown with FCS or hPL responded equally to all types of drugs and stress conditions that were tested. In addition, the transfection of blood cells by electroporation can be achieved under both conditions. Hence, hPL is a moderately priced substitute for FCS in various experimental settings.
Human platelet lysate as validated replacement for animal serum to assess chemosensitivity
Oliver H. Krämer
Added on: 02-08-2021
[1] https://www.altex.org/index.php/altex/article/view/1167
