Culturing Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Abstract

Previous methods for culturing human embryonic stem cells have required either fibroblast feeder cells or a medium which has been exposed to fibroblast feeder cells in order to maintain the stem cells in an undifferentiated state. It has now been found that if high levels of fibroblast growth factor are used in a medium with gamma amino butyric acid, pipecholic acid, lithium and lipids, the stem cells will remain undifferentiated indefinitely through multiple passages, even without feeder cells or conditioned medium. A humanized matrix of human proteins can be used as a basement matrix to culture the cells. New lines of human embryonic stem cells made using these culture conditions, the medium and the matrix, will never have been exposed to animal cells, animal products, feeder cells or conditioned medium.

1 . A method for initiating a new cultured line of human embryonic stem cells without the use of feeder cells or conditioned medium, the method comprising the step of
 plating cells from a blastocyst in a medium including vitamins, amino acids, glucose, a fibroblast growth factor, gamma amino butyric acid, pipecholic acid, lithium and lipids in sufficient amounts to originate and maintain a new proliferating stem cell line in an undifferentiated state.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the medium includes the fibroblast growth factor in a concentration of at least 40 ng/ml. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the medium also comprises transferrin and insulin. 
   
   
       4 . An in vitro cell culture comprising in a culture vessel:
 human embryonic stem cells;   a culture medium, the culture medium comprising salts, vitamins, amino acids, glucose, a fibroblast growth factor, gamma amino butyric acid, pipecholic acid, lithium and lipids in sufficient amounts to maintain the stem cells in an undifferentiated state through multiple culture passages, the medium being free of feeder cells and never having been exposed to feeder cells; and   a humanized matrix made from human collagen and at least two of human proteins selected from the group consisting of fibronectin, vitronectin and laminin.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the matrix includes all of collagen, fibronectin, vitronectin and laminin. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the medium includes the fibroblast growth factor in a concentration of at least 40 ng/ml. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the medium also comprises transferrin and insulin. 
   
   
       8 . An in vitro cell culture comprising in a culture vessel:
 human embryonic stem cells;   a humanized matrix made from human collagen and at least two of the human proteins selected from the group consisting of collagen, fibronectin, vitronectin and laminin; and   a culture medium, the culture medium comprising vitamins, amino acids, glucose, a fibroblast growth factor, and lipids in sufficient amounts to maintain the stem cells in an undifferentiated state through multiple culture passages, the medium being free of feeder cells and never having been exposed to feeder cells.   
   
   
       9 . A method of culturing new human embryonic stem cells comprising the steps of
 (a) isolating the inner cell mass of an embryo in the blastocyst stage;   (b) culturing the cells from step (a) in a medium including vitamins, amino acids, glucose, a fibroblast growth factor, gamma amino butyric acid, pipecholic acid, lithium and lipids in sufficient amounts to maintain the stem cells in an undifferentiated state through multiple culture passages;   (c) the culturing step being conducted on a matrix of human proteins; and   (d) serially expanding the cells which proliferate on the medium.   
   
   
       10 . A method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the human proteins in the medium include at least three of the proteins from the group consisting of collagen, fibronectin, vitronectin, and laminin. 
   
   
       11 . A culture of cells comprised of human embryonic stem cells growing on a matrix of human proteins, the stem cells from a lineage which has never been exposed to animal cells, animal proteins, feeder cells or conditioned medium, the cells culture medium capable of maintaining the cells through over twenty passages in culture while the cells remain undifferentiated, maintain pluripotency and maintain normal karyotype. 
   
   
       12 . A culture of cells comprised of human embryonic stem cells which do not exhibit the sialic acid Neu5Gc.