Culture Techniques for Drug Discovery and Therapeutics

AMSBIO has published an informative online article that reviews the importance of culture techniques for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which provide an invaluable resource for drug discovery and therapeutic applications.

When using iPSCs for drug discovery and therapeutic applications, it is vital to generate a homogenous culture. The absence of uniformity in iPSC culture can severely compromise the quality and quantity of data generated.

The article discusses in detail how factors including maintaining genetic stability, optimizing culture conditions, and managing single cell expansion impact result reproducibility as well as consistency of product quality. The importance of chemically defined media, exemplified by cutting edge products such as StemFit® that provide precise control and a reproducible environment for cell growth and maintenance. Achieving reproducibility and consistency underpins the development of scalable protocols for iPSC culture and differentiation - which are key requirements for clinical implementation.

Further, the article describes how cryopreservation plays a pivotal role in preserving iPSCs and organoids. Use of chemically and defined animal origin-free cryopreservation media, such as STEM-CELLBANKER®, is particularly important for maintaining high yields, assuring minimal disruption in morphology, and ensuring the future viability of stem cells post thaw, even if stored over long time periods.

Looking to the future, the authors discuss the challenges to the advancement of 3D iPSC cultures including uncontrolled spheroid aggregation and cell shear stress. A novel method employing Laminin E8 fragments to establish an effective extracellular matrix (ECM) conducive to stem cell production is described.