Xeno-Free Strategies for Safe Human Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell Expansion: Supplements and Coatings

Table 2

FBS use advantages and drawbacks.

Use of FBS as a supplement for cell culture
Advantages	Disadvantages
Furnishes a cocktail of growth factors required for in vitro cell growth	Ill defined
Universal: suitable for all cell types	Lot-to-lot variability
	Possible contamination of the cell surface with xenogenic compounds that may influence cell behavior
	Possible microbiological contamination (virus, prions bacteria, endotoxins, and fungi)
	Economical: worldwide availability
	Ethical problems: requires the painful death of bovine fetuses