AdvanceSTEM™ Murine Embryonic Stem Cell Products   AdvanceSTEM™ Human Somatic Stem Cell Products

Utilizing expertise gained during 40 years as a leading cell culture supplier, the HyClone AdvanceSTEM™ line of stem cell culture products has been developed specifically for applications in stem cell research. The line comprises numerous products designed to support a wide range of applications such as the expansion and maintenance of undifferentiated murine embryonic and human adult mesenchymal stem cells to the directed differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteocytes.

The line includes HyClone AdvanceSTEM™ Serum Replacement, which has been developed to support the growth of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells in culture with minimal or no requirement for fetal bovine serum supplementation; and HyClone AdvanceSTEM™ Low Osmo DMEM, which features an optimized osmolarity (osmo) approximating that of murine embryonic tissue.

The HyClone AdvanceSTEM™ line also includes its popular ES-Screened Fetal Bovine Serum, which is screened for the ability to promote the rapid growth of ES cells while retaining their pluripotent abilities. This eliminates the need for prescreening serum, saving researchers precious time and money while providing the assurance that the serum used has been screened by experienced ES cell culturists.

The Unique Properties of Stem Cells

Our cell culture experts understand the unique features of stem cells and their special needs. Stem cells are defined by two common criteria
- their ability for prolonged undifferentiated proliferation, and their ability to differentiate into more than one type of specialized cell type. There are two broad categories of stem cells, pluripotent and multipotent. The most commonly studied pluripotent stem cell is the embryonic stem cell (ESCs), which is derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst stage embryo.

Multipotent stem cells or adult stem cells have been identified and isolated from most of the major organs and tissues, including adipose tissue
and bone marrow.

ESCs are unique cells that retain their capacity in culture for both self-renewal and differentiation. Publications dating from 1998 on the isolation and growth of human ESCs have sparked the imaginations of scientists and laymen alike with the hopes of learning how to control and direct the differentiation of these cells. This research would help elucidate the earliest stages of human development, how specialized tissues and organs are generated, and how we might be able to use these cells to develop therapies that might be able to treat complex degenerative diseases that current therapies cannot adequately address.

Murine, or mouse, ESCs have been used by biologists to study mammalian development and model human diseases for the past 25 years. Additionally, they have become standard research tools. ESCs are sensitive to culture conditions and can easily differentiate and lose pluripotency if not properly maintained.

Thermo Fisher Scientific sets the standard for high-quality fetal bovine serum used for the culture of embryonic stem cells and provides lot tested batches that have been carefully analyzed for their ability to support the growth of mESCs.

As part of continuing our efforts to address the research and development needs for the highest-quality stem cell culture reagents, we have built on our expertise in sera and cell culture nutrition and added new media and reagents that have been carefully formulated to support the culture of mESCs.