Sheff-Vax ACF
Sheff-VAX ACF is an animal-component-free complex medium supplement containing growth factors which allow for the use of dramatically reduced serum concentrations in the medium formulations for MDCK, BHK-21 and HEK 293 cells. It is suitable for use in DMEM and GMEM in both adherent and suspension culture at concentrations ranging from 6- to 8-g/l.
In adherent MDCK culture, serum content of the DMEM basal medium formulation was reduced from 10% to 3% FBS when used in conjunction with 8 g/l Sheff-VAX ACF.
In suspension cultures of BHK-21 cells grown in GMEM, serum was further reduced to 1%.
In each case, in Sheff-VAX ACF supplemented cultures, maximum cell densities exceeded those reached in the high-serum media formulations.
Sheff-VAX Plus ACF contains additional growth factors that provide robust cell growth, as well as extended cell viability. The incorporation of additional non-animal components into this supplement formulation allows for the total elimination of serum from the basal medium for suspension cultures of both MDCK and BHK-21 cells.
Total removal of serum was achieved by systematically integrating selected non-animal components with the Sheff-VAX supplement while simultaneously decreasing the serum concentration during adaptation from adherent to suspension culture. When DMEM was supplemented with Sheff-VAX Plus ACF the MDCK cell cultures realized a maximum density 45% higher than with a commercially available chemically defined medium designed specifically for MDCK cells. With BHK-21 cells, cell densities in serum-free suspension cultures were more than double those of the serum-supplemented GMEM control medium