The Role Of Cell Culture Media Growth Factors

Growth factors are crucial signaling proteins that profoundly impact cell behavior both in vivo and in vitro. In cell culture media, they are indispensable for maintaining cell health and dictating cell fate, regulating key functions like proliferation, differentiation, and viability. While serum provides a natural source of growth factors, controlled experiments often employ serum-free media supplemented with specific factors.

Choosing the right growth factor is crucial and depends on cell type and experimental goals; nerve growth factor for nerve cells, and EGF/FGF for broader applications like protein expression. Growth factors extend their utility to extracellular matrices (e.g., Matrigel) and coated cultureware to optimize culture environments.

To fully unlock the potential of growth factors in enhancing your cell culture practices and research, delve into the full article.