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. 2001 Mar;35(2):87–92. doi: 10.1023/A:1017551218007

A serum-free medium formulation supporting growth of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells in long-term cultivation

Regina Labitzke 1, Peter Friedl 2,✉
PMCID: PMC3449455  PMID: 19003285

Abstract

A serum-free medium formulation – TUD-1 – was developed supporting growth of HUVEC in tissue culture. Special features of the basal medium formulation are highly elevated levels of glutamine and serine as well as the inclusion of N-acetylcysteine and phosphoascorbic acid. The cellular mitogenic needs are satisfied by bFGF, VEGF, EGF and liver growth factor. Further hormone supplementation consists of insulin and hydrocortisone. A protocoll for serum-free passage of HUVEC was established for serum-free long-term cultivation of freshly isolated HUVEC for up to 20 cumulative population doublings without significant differences in final cell density compared to controls cultivated with serum.

Keywords: cells, cultured, endothelium, serum-free medium

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