Recent studies have shown that glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) inhibitors help maintain pluripotency and self-renewal through the Wnt pathway.^1,2  Cells cultured in ESGRO Complete PLUS medium supplemented with the GSK3β inhibitor consistently display better growth characteristics, cell morphology, viability, and proliferation rates when compared with cells cultured in the original ESGRO Complete medium alone.

“The original ESGRO Complete medium revolutionized stem cell research three years ago because it was the first commercially-available media for feeder- and serum-free ES cell culture,” said Amy Noble, the stem cell and cell biology product manager. “Now, the inclusion of the GSK3β inhibitor with ESGRO Complete PLUS medium gives scientists an improved formulation for the maintenance of mouse ES cells in an undifferentiated state without serum and feeder cells.”

The defined, serum-free formulation of ESGRO Complete PLUS medium includes mouse leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), BMP4, and the GSK3β inhibitor at optimized concentrations. This formulation eliminates the inconsistency and expense associated with the use of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and feeder layers, while providing a complete medium that enhances the growth and maintenance of undifferentiated mouse ES cells in controlled conditions.

Additional Information
ESGRO Complete PLUS
Millipore Stem Cell Learning Center

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Greg Hoff
Media Relations
Bioscience Division
978-762-5170
greg_hoff@millipore.com

References

(1) Umehara, H., Kimura, T., Ohtsuka, S., Nakamura, T., Kitajima K. 2007. Efficient derivation of embryonic stem cells by inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3. Stem Cells: published online Jul 19. http://stemcells.alphamedpress.org/cgi/reprint/25/11/2705.pdf

(²) Sato, N., Meijer, L., Skaltsounis, L., Greengard, P., and Brivanlou, A. H. 2004. Maintenance of pluripotency in human and mouse embryonic stem cells through activation of Wnt signaling by a pharmacological GSK-3-specific inhibitor. Nature Medicine 10, 1: 55-63. http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v10/n1/pdf/nm979.pdf

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