A Review of Fetal Bovine Serum in the Culture of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Potential Alternatives for Veterinary Medicine.

Fetal bovine serum (FBS) remains widely used as a supplement in cell culture media used in the isolation and expansion of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) despite longstanding practical, clinical, and ethical concerns over its use. As a result, research on alternative culture media supplement solutions that conserve crucial MSC characteristics has become increasingly relevant. Species-specific supplements and serum-free media such as platelet lysate or chemically defined media have been assessed for their effect in MSC cultures regarding proliferation, differentiation, and immunomodulatory capacity.