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In a recently published open-access study, PhD candidate Peng Wang has made a significant breakthrough in extracellular vesicles (EV) research. The work addresses a critical challenge in the field: the contamination of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) culture media by EVs derived from fetal bovine serum (FBS). The research group, led by Fons van de Loo in Experimental Rheumatology and Jeroen van den Beucken in Dentistry Regenerative & Biomaterials department, published the results in the PLOS One journal on 5 December 2023.
The motivation behind this research stems from the necessity for pure MSC-derived EVs, which are increasingly recognized for their potential in drug delivery and tissue repair. Traditional methods to deplete FBS of EVs, like ultracentrifugation (UC) and ultrafiltration (UF), were found to be inadequate, either inefficiently removing EVs or adversely affecting the growth-promoting qualities of FBS. Together with Onno Arntz, Peng tested a novel approach using polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation. The results were striking. Not only did PEG outperform UC and UF in EV depletion efficiency, but it also retained the essential growth factors in FBS. This dual benefit of PEG precipitation – effective EV removal and preservation of FBS quality – marks a significant advancement in cell culture techniques.
For clinicians and scientists, these findings open new avenues in MSC-EV research. The ability to culture MSCs with minimal contamination from FBS-derived EVs enhances the purity and functionality of MSC-EVs. This improvement is vital for applications in regenerative medicine, where the therapeutic potential of MSC-EVs is under intense investigation.
Looking ahead, the departments plans to explore the broader implications of this method. There is a keen interest in applying PEG precipitation to deplete EVs from FBS alternatives as human serum or platelet lysates and examining its impact on large-scale clinical applications. This study not only shifts the paradigm in MSC research but also lights the path for future discoveries in cell therapy and regenerative medicine.
Publication in PLoS One
Polyethylene glycol precipitation is an efficient method to obtain extracellular vesicle-depleted fetal bovine serum
Peng Wang,Onno J. Arntz,Johanna F. A. Husch,Van der Kraan P. M.,Jeroen J. J. P. van den Beucken,Fons A. J. van de Loo. Published: December 5, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295076
