LN-521 enables derivation, clonal culture and easy single-cell passage of human pluripotent stem cells without artificial inhibitors

Abstract

Laminin-521 is one of the first extracellular matrix proteins already expressed by the cells of the inner cell mass in the blastocyst. Our data show that when using LN-521TM to create a niche on cell culture plates, human embryonic stem and induced pluripotent stem (hPS) cells can be cultivated at clonal density and grown indefinitely in a pluripotent state. In addition, LN-521TM support, for the first time, derivation of new human ES cell lines in a chemically defined and xeno-free manner. This is the first xeno-free, defined and biologically relevant matrix that truly supports hPS cells in a clinically relevant, ethical and robust way in cell culture.