Expansion of undifferentiated murine embryonic stem cells as aggregates in suspension culture bioreactors

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have recently been considered as a primary material for regenerating tissues lost to injuries and degenerative diseases. For clinical implementation of this technology, a quality controlled, reproducible culture system is necessary for the expansion and differentiation of the cells. Used in many bioprocess applications, suspension bioreactors have gained considerable attention for the regulated large-scale expansion of cells. The current study presents a bioreactor process for the large-scale expansion of undifferentiated murine ESCs as aggregates. In this system, the level of ESC aggregation and differentiation was effectively controlled by adjusting shear forces and inoculation density, achieving a 31-fold expansion in 5 days. Pluripotency markers Oct-4, Nanog, SSEA-1, ALP, and rex-1 were assessed using flow cytometry analysis and gene expression profiles and showed that the undifferentiated nature of the cells within the ESC aggregates was maintained. Colony-forming efficiencies and embryoid body formation tests of the expanded cultures demonstrated that characteristic functional attributes of undifferentiated cells were not lost. Overcoming a major impediment in the area of ESC expansion, this study describes a successful process for the controlled and reproducible large-scale expansion of ESCs using suspension culture bioreactors.