Download using animal-derived growth factors in stem cell

Endotoxin - free Growth Factors
Using animal-derived growth factors
in stem cell research is a risk
Research grade growth factors for stem cell research are generally produced in either
E. coli bacterial cells or animal cells. Growth factors produced in animal cells inevitably contain traces of animal components that can seriously affect stem cell cultures. They may contain viruses or traces of growth factors or other proteins
originating from the production cells. Growth factors produced in E. coli inevitably
contain traces of endotoxin, which can negatively influence the
behaviour of stem cells in culture (http://www.orfgenetics.com/ISOkine/).
The ISOkine growth factors from ORF Genetics are both endotoxin-free and animalfree, as they are produced in plants. Using ISOkine growth factors helps researchers to
reach their goals of establishing the most optimal stem cell culture systems that are
void of endotoxin, viruses or any other animal derived components.
Ensuring virological safety of biological drugs is challenging and many examples are
known of contamination accidents in drug manufacturing systems in the past.
Examples of viral contamination in biological drugs
Contamination
References
Avian Retroviruses in licensed Yellow Fever Vaccines from chicken embryos
Journal of Virology. 2003. 77(2), p. 1105–1111.
SV40 virus in poliovirus vaccine
International Journal of Cancer. 2007. 120(2), p. 215-23.
Vesivirus 2117 in a bioreactor producing imiglucerase at Genzyme‘s manufacturing facility
Blood Cells, Molecules and Diseases. 2010. 44(1),
p. 41-47
In all these cases the safety requirements for production were extremely high, as the
molecules being produced are biological drugs and vaccines for human injection.
Production of recombinant growth factors for stem cell research is however not subject to stringent regulatory requirements as injectable pharmaceuticals are. For this
reason, many stem cell researchers choose not to use animal-derived growth factors.
Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines are commonly used as productions systems
for growth factors. Several viruses infectious to human and/or mouse cells can
replicate in CHO cell lines, such as Cache Valley Virus (CVV), Reovirus Sindbis,
Encephalomyocarditis Virus and Mouse Minute Virus (MMV) (Biotechnol Bioeng, 2010.
106(4), p. 598-607). Such viruses may influence cell behaviour in culture.
Another risk factor with animal produced growth factor is introducing growth factors
from the original animal cell into the culture. The fact that CHO cells produce a
spectrum of their own growth factors is well documented (Journal of Proteome
Research. 2013. 12(7), p. 3496-3510)
Information on regional distributors: http://www.orfgenetics.com/ISOkine/Distributors/