Thermostable Human Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (TS-bFGF) Engineered with a Disulfide Bond Demonstrates Superior Culture Outcomes in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell
Sejong Kim,
Geun-Ho Kang,
Kyung Min Lim,
Yeokyung Shin,
Kwonwoo Song,
Sangrok Park,
Jongyub An,
Dae Young Kim,
Hang-Cheol Shin,
Ssang-Goo Cho
Affiliations
Sejong Kim
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Molecular & Cellular Reprogramming Center and Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Geun-Ho Kang
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Molecular & Cellular Reprogramming Center and Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Kyung Min Lim
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Molecular & Cellular Reprogramming Center and Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Yeokyung Shin
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Molecular & Cellular Reprogramming Center and Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Kwonwoo Song
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Molecular & Cellular Reprogramming Center and Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Sangrok Park
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Molecular & Cellular Reprogramming Center and Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Jongyub An
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Molecular & Cellular Reprogramming Center and Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Dae Young Kim
PnP Biopharm Co., Ltd., 1304, Acetechnotower 8-cha, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea
Hang-Cheol Shin
PnP Biopharm Co., Ltd., 1304, Acetechnotower 8-cha, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul 08380, Republic of Korea
Ssang-Goo Cho
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Molecular & Cellular Reprogramming Center and Institute of Advanced Regenerative Science, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can differentiate into various tissues and are an essential source of various disease models and therapeutics. Various growth factors are required in order to culture pluripotent stem cells, among which basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is essential for maintaining stem cell ability. However, bFGF has a short half-life (8 h) under normal mammalian cell culture conditions, and its activity decreases after 72 h, posing a serious problem in the production of high-quality stem cells. Here, we evaluated the various functions of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) by utilizing an engineered thermostable bFGF (TS-bFGF) that is thermally stable and maintains activity longer under mammalian culture conditions. PSCs cultured with TS-bFGF showed better proliferation, stemness, morphology, and differentiation than cells cultured with wild-type bFGF. In light of the importance of stem cells in a wide range of applications in the medical and biotechnology fields, we anticipate that TS-bFGF, as a thermostable and long-acting bFGF, can play a key role in securing high-quality stem cells through various sets of stem cell culture processes.
