Serum-free medium for growth factor-dependent and -independent plasmacytomas and hybridomas.

A serum-free medium was developed for culture of plasmacytomas and hybridomas that are dependent upon or independent of the presence of specific P388D1-derived polypeptide growth factors. Possibly due to the stringency of requirements for culturing such plasmacytomas, a highly advantageous combination of components was developed. The medium, SFM, contains RPMI 1640, beta-mercaptoethanol, Hepes buffer, reduced glutathione (GSH), selenite (Se), pyruvate, transferrin, albumin, soybean lipids, and low density lipoproteins. A cooperative effect of GSH and Se is observed. SFM supports the continuous, prodigious growth of every B cell line tested, including a variety of the plasmacytomas, hybridomas, myeloma fusion partners and lymphoma cell lines, as well as the macrophage-like cell line P388D1. All of the B cell lines grow equally as well in SFM as in serum-containing medium. Hybridoma lines from mouse-mouse and rat-mouse fusions continue to produce monoclonal antibodies which can then be purified in a single-step procedure. The cells can be cloned out and frozen down in SFM. In addition, the medium is highly effective for establishment of plasmacytoma cell lines from some transplantable plasmacytomas, including early generation tumors.