Weber Tilo, Malakpour-Permlid Atena, Chary Aline, D'Alessandro Vito, Haut Leah, Seufert Sebastian, Wenzel Esther Veronika, Hickman James, Bieback Karen, Wiest Joachim, Dirks Wilhelm Gerhard, Coecke Sandra, Oredsson Stina
Animal Welfare Academy of the German Animal Welfare Federation, Neubiberg, Germany.
Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
Front Toxicol. 2025 Aug 8;7:1612903. doi: 10.3389/ftox.2025.1612903. eCollection 2025.
Cell cultures form the backbone for scientific research and development, but also for clinical diagnostics and biotechnology. Supplying cells with growth factors, hormones, and other nutrients is achieved most often by supplementing culture media with fetal bovine serum (FBS). Despite its nearly ubiquitous use, there are major reproducibility, safety, and animal welfare issues arguing the need to replace FBS. Fortunately, numerous FBS replacements have been validated and are publicly or commercially available, making it possible to leave FBS behind. Successful serum-free, animal-component-free, and chemically defined media applications are highlighted in this review for the cultivation of stem cells and organoids, the development of organ-on-a-chip systems, the bioprinting of tissues, and the production of cultivated meat, antibodies, and vaccines, including the conduct of cytotoxicity tests and the cryopreservation of cells. Moreover, the use of fully animal-free models and methodologies is further discussed to promote their broader acceptance and adoption within the global scientific research and development community. In this regard, this review discusses novel avenues to address the scientific and practical hurdles that might limit a full transition from FBS to fully defined cell culture media and offers a brief perspective on potential future directions.
细胞培养是科学研究与开发的支柱，也是临床诊断和生物技术的支柱。向细胞提供生长因子、激素和其他营养物质，最常见的方法是在培养基中添加胎牛血清（FBS）。尽管FBS几乎被普遍使用，但存在重大的可重复性、安全性和动物福利问题，这表明需要替代FBS。幸运的是，许多FBS替代品已经得到验证，并且可以公开或商业获取，从而有可能摒弃FBS。本综述重点介绍了成功的无血清、无动物成分和化学成分明确的培养基在干细胞和类器官培养、芯片器官系统开发、组织生物打印以及培养肉、抗体和疫苗生产中的应用，包括细胞毒性测试的进行和细胞的冷冻保存。此外，还进一步讨论了完全无动物模型和方法的使用，以促进其在全球科学研发界得到更广泛的接受和采用。在这方面，本综述讨论了应对可能限制从FBS完全过渡到完全定义的细胞培养基的科学和实际障碍的新途径，并简要展望了潜在的未来方向。
