No abstract

Prefacethe supplementation of basal culture media with animal serum of different origins is essential for cell growth, metabolism, and to stimulate proliferation ("mitogenic effect"). the sera used most widely are bovine sera of adult or newborn animals, or of fetal origin. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is a cocktail of most of the factors required for cell attachment, growth and proliferation and is thus used as an almost universal growth supplement effective for most types of human and animal (including insect) cells. However, the use of animal serum in cell culture also bears a number of disadvantages. these disadvantages can be seen either from -a theoretical, cell biological point of view, since serum in general is an ill-defined mixture of components in culture media, -from ethical perspectives in terms of animal protection arguments regarding the harvest and collection of FBS from bovine fetuses and -in terms of recent concerns about the global supply versus demand of FBS. As a consequence, a number of strategies were developed to reduce or replace the requirement for FBS in cell culture media. -Furthermore, recent advances in biomedicine, tissue engineering and (adult mesenchymal) stem cell-based therapy demand innovative serum-alternatives of human origin for autologous cell expansion and reimplantation. Also, for the biotechno-

No abstract

No abstract

Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is a common supplement to in vitro culture media. A workshop was organized to discuss whether or not fetuses might suffer when blood is withdrawn, and to discuss serum replacement methods. When bovine fetuses are exposed after slaughter of the dam, they can suffer only if they inflate their lungs with air and increase their blood oxygen to levels compatible with awareness. Preventing fetuses from breathing air or killing them by an efficient method, according to clearly defined safeguards, ensures that fetal blood collection is humane. Since serum is a supplement of unknown composition, which could be contaminated with unwanted factors, there are scientific and safety reasons for omitting FBS from culture media. Several media have been developed in which minimal or no animal derived components are present. Also, different cell types have been adapted to serum-free media. As yet, no standard serum free media are present, and each cell type requires its own medium composition. Among other recommendations, the establishment of a public database with information on cell types and their serum-free medium composition is proposed.