Previous studies have shown that maintenance of undifferentiated human embryonic stem
(hES) cells requires culture on mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeders. Here we
demonstrate a successful feeder-free hES culture system in which undifferentiated cells can
be maintained for at least 130 population doublings. In this system, hES cells are cultured on
Matrigel or laminin in medium conditioned by MEF. The hES cells maintained on feeders or
off feeders express integrin α6 and β1, which may form a laminin-specific receptor. The hES …

Conventionally, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are cultured on feeder cells. The most
commonly used feeder cells are mouse embryonic fibroblasts. It is thought that the feeder
cells provide an optimal microenvironment for the undifferentiated growth of hESCs by
supplying currently unidentified extracellular matrix components and growth factors.
Although these feeder cells are efficient, the feeder-dependent hESC culture system may not
be suitable for drug screening or other research purposes that require the use of feeder-free …