LIPID INCORPORATED SERUM-FREE MEDIUM

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DESIGN A SERUM-FREE CHEMICALLY DEFINED MEDIUM FOR OPTIMUM GROWTH OF MAMMALIAN CELLS IN VITRO. THE SPECIFIC AIM OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO SOLUBILIZE, BY MEANS OTHER THAN THE USE OF CARRIER PROTEINS, FATTY ACIDS, ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID, FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS, AND CHOLESTEROL IN AN EXISTENT SERUM-FREE MEDIUM, CHEE'S ESSENTIAL MEDIUM (CEM). BESIDES HORMONES, GROWTH AND ATTACHMENT FACTORS, LIPIDS MAY BE IMPORTANT SUBSTANCES FOR OPTIMUM GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF END PRODUCTS BY MAMMALIAN CELLS IN VITRO. IT IS EXPECTED THAT, DURING PHASE I STUDIES, METHODS WILL BE DEVELOPED TO INCORPORATE FATTY ACIDS, FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS, ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID, AND CHOLESTEROL INTO CEM WITHOUT THE USE OF CARRIER PROTEINS. PHASE II STUDIES WILL FOCUS ON FURTHER IMPROVEMENT OF CEM BY INCORPORATING ORGANIC AND WATER-SOLUBLE HORMONES AND GROWTH FACTORS INTO CEM. A SERUM-FREE CEM THAT WILL OPTIMIZE THE GROWTH OF CELLS IN VITRO WOULD FIND WIDE APPLICATION IN RESEARCH AND BIOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORIES. THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF SUCH A PRODUCT WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT.