Concentration of PDGF-AB, BB and TGF-β1 as valuable human serum parameters in adipose-derived stem cell proliferation

Human serum (HS) has attributes similar to fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the proliferation and differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) when compared in vitro. The purpose of this study was to determine what types of HS, with respect to the concentrations of endogenous growth factors, could be made available for hASC proliferation.

HS was collected from 2 groups of healthy donor (freshly isolated HS [n=9], and HS preserved for 4 years [n=7]). All sera were isolated with a Cellaid HS isolation device (JMS Co., Ltd, Hiroshima, Japan) and then classified into 3 groups based on the concentrations (high, middle, and low) of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AB, PDGF-BB, and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) by means of enzyme-linked immunoassay screening. The hASCs were isolated from subcutaneous fat using a collagenase enzymatic digestion process and were cultured in control media, each supplemented with HS from a different group. Cell numbers were counted on days 2, 4, 7, and 14, and the relationship between cell proliferation and the level of each growth factor was investigated.

The proliferation of hASCs correlated with the concentration of each growth factor. The cut-off points for PDGF-AB, PDGF-BB, and TGF-β1 in HS [necessary for hASC proliferation when compared with FBS] were 10 ng/mL, 1.5 ng/mL, and 15 ng/mL, respectively. There was no correlation between the storage period of HS and the proliferation potential of hASCs.

These results suggest that the effectiveness of HS on hASC proliferation depends on the concentrations of endogenous PDGFs. In addition, the Cellaid device used in this study allows the simultaneous release of several growth factors from platelets, and our results have shown that it can be used to collect HS for future hASC-based therapies.