(F1245) LARGE SCALE AND SERUM-FREE DIFFERENTIATION AND CULTIVATION OF HUMAN PSCS INTO ENDOTHELIAL CELLS USING A CLOSED SEMIAUTOMATED CULTIVATION PLATFORM
Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG Bergisch Gladbach, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Abstract: The vascular system, lined by endothelial cells (ECs), provides a barrier to tissue and influences blood homeostasis. Among other processes endothelial cells are involved in neovascularization, which is essential for the growth and metastasis of tumors. In this context ECs transport nutrients and remove metabolic waste from tumor cells. To understand and influence this interactions in more detail as well as to engineer vessels and organ grafts, large amounts of ECs are required. Pluripotent stem cell derived endothelial cells (PSC-ECs) can be produced in unlimited number without ethical concern, under standardized environment and thus provide an optimal source for studying processes mentioned above. Endothelial differentiation of PSCs was performed within seven days using subsequently two different serum- and xeno-free cell culture media. Further cultivation for at least 14 days was performed under optimized xeno-free conditions. For scalable PSC-EC production we used the GMP compliant CliniMACS Prodigy® Adherent Cell Culture System. Resulting PSC-ECs revealed standard endothelial markers, showed DiI-acetylated LDL uptake and tube formation capacity. Described is a standardized, scalable and closed system to produce functional PSC-ECs in serum- and xeno-free condition.
