Endothelial Cell Proliferation in Serum-Free Medium

A precisely defined serum-free medium would be of inestimable importance for gaining specific information concerning phenom such as the proliferation of endothelial cells and the role these cells play in the process such as cardiovascular disease, wound healing and responsiveness to growth factors and platelets. We will develop a serum- free medium that will support the in-vitro proliferation of human endothelial cells and their role in Cardiology. Serum-free culture of endothelial cells requires the presence of ill-defined components as conditional medium or a complex extracellular matrix. The initial subculture of endothelial cells has also required the presence of serum for at least one to two passages. The research herein will develop serum-free medium and the technology to avoid the use of serum or any other ill-defined component. We have developed serum-free medium that in combination with recombinant acidic or basic FGF supports the proliferation of porcine abdominal aortic and cerebral microvessel endothelial cells. We will develop serum-free medium for human umbilical cord endothelial cells that does not require the present of serum for the initial passages, conditioned medium, or an ill-defined extracellular matrix.