Blogs for February 2017

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) hold significant promise for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. While the use of MSCs for both translational and basic research requires their efficient expansion, the desired media formulations for growing MSCs can vary by application. Specific formulations of MSC media now exist to address these various applications, including serum-containing, serum-free, xeno-free, animal component-free and GMP-grade media. For many researchers, deciphering which variant of MSC media best suits their needs can be a daunting prospect. This post is meant to help clarify MSC media nomenclature and provide a quick reference for understanding the various media options and when to use them in your research.