Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is the gold standard for cell culture, but its use has several disadvantages, including safety concerns, batch-to-batch variations, and limited representation of the human condition. Human serum and human platelet lysate (hP) have been suggested as alternatives to enhance safety, quality, and reproducibility of in vitro assays. Human serum has been shown to modify cancer cell behavior, enhance cell invasion, and support the growth and osteogenic differentiation of primary cells. hP is an alternative to FBS for culturing mesenchymal stem cells and other cells.
The authors of an article presented evidence that human derivatives can provide promising alternatives to FBS for mimicking human tumor microenvironments. They analyzed the effects of human serum and hP on the functional capacity of human MSC-derived osteoblasts and monocytes-derived osteoclasts. The authors also evaluated cell growth and osteolysis of the metastatic and primary Ewing’s sarcoma cells in the presence of human supplements.
The results of the study showed that human serum and hP can provide a more accurate representation of the human condition and can enhance the predictability of experimental outcomes. However, the authors note that research is still mostly done using animal supplements, and the published data for the use of human derivatives in studies of cancer and in vitro 3D tumor modeling are limited.