Effects of Macromolecular Crowding on Human Adipose Stem Cell Culture in Fetal Bovine Serum, Human Serum, and Defined Xeno-Free/Serum-Free Conditions

Figure 1

The workflow of the experiments under different culture conditions. The isolation of ASCs was carried out in parallel in FBS- and HS-containing media and in defined XF/SF conditions. After isolation from passage 1 onwards (FBS and HS conditions) and from passage 2 onwards (XF/SF condition), cells were divided into two populations. One half was expanded in standard media and the other half under MMC until the proliferation and differentiation analyses in passage 4. The osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capacity of ASCs was studied in four different treatment groups (I–IV) and chondrogenic differentiation capacity in two treatment groups (II and IV). FBS, fetal bovine serum; HS, human serum; XF/SF, xeno-free/serum-free; MMC, macromolecular crowding; E ± MMC, expansion under macromolecular crowding/in standard medium; D ± MMC, differentiation under macromolecular crowding/in standard medium; P1, passage 1.