Culture medium additive, culture medium composition, and method for culturing cells or tissue using same

• US 10,914,725 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 02/09/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Chemical Industries Limited (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Chemical Industries Limited (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Inventors: Abe, Natsuki, Nishino, Taito, Otani, Ayako
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Ruth A
• Application Number:
  US15/566,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20180136196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 37/12 Agar-agar; Derivatives thereof not used
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/12 Agar or agar-agar , i.e. mixture of agarose and agaropectin; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 89/00 Compositions of proteins; Compositions of derivatives thereof foodstuff preparations A23J3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2533/76 Agarose, agar-agar
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0018 Culture media for cell or tissue culture media for specific animal cell type C12N5/06
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/02 involving viable microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5011 for testing antineoplastic activity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5067 Liver cells

Abstract

The invention provides a medium additive, medium composition and a culture method and the like, capable of efficiently culturing cells or tissues in a well dispersed state, and further, permitting cell image analysis of the cells or tissues. The medium additive or medium composition contains agar, which preferably is a low molecular weight agar having a weight average molecular weight of 10,000-60,000. Using same, cells or tissues can be cultured in a well-dispersed state in a medium, and a proliferation promoting effect for the cells or tissues can also be obtained. In addition, the cells can be cultured in any of a floating state and a precipitated state by adjusting the concentration of the aforementioned agar.

Claims

1. A method of culturing a cell or tissue, comprising cultivating the cell or tissue in a precipitated state on the bottom of a culture container but in a dispersed state in a medium composition comprising agar having a weight average molecular weight of 10,000-60,000,

wherein the agar is present in the medium composition in an amount of not less than 0.005 (w/v)% and less than 0.07 (w/v)% relative to the total amount of the medium composition, and

wherein the medium composition has a viscosity at 37°

C. of not more than 2.5 mPa·

s when the agar content is 0.1 (w/v)%.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cell is an adherent cell or a floating cell.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the adherent cell is adhered to a carrier surface or embedded inside a carrier.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the adherent cell is adhered to a microcarrier.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the adherent cell forms a sphere.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the adherent cell is selected from the group consisting of a cancer cell, a hepatocyte and a cancer cell line.