Hello, I'm going to culture HepG2 cells soon, I studied many research articles but half of them culture HepG2 in 10% FBS in DMEM and rest of them used 10% FCS in DMEM. I was wondering as HepG2 is the cancer cell line FCS would be the better option to choose over FBS in terms of avoiding contamination. Can please somebody help me out from this dilemma? Which one should be the best FCS or FBS?
FBS and FCS are different terms for the same product.
However, I'm a little confused by all these complicated medium recipes posted above. It has been some years since I worked with HepG2, but I remember them as a pretty easy-to-handle cell line? Basically growing in virtually any medium (MEM/ DMEM/ RPMI/ Hams F12 + 5 to 30% FCS). Am I wrong?
edit:
ATCC recommends MEM + 10% FBS:
https://www.lgcstandards-atcc.org/Products/All/HB-8065.aspx#culturemethod
Insulin promotes glucose and amino acid uptake, lipogenesis, intracellular transport, and the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids. Transferrin is an iron carrier and it may also help to reduce toxic levels of oxygen radicals and peroxide. Selenite is a co-factor for glutathione peroxidase and other proteins, and is used as an anti-oxidant in media. Typically used to reduce conc of FBS to 2-4%.
Good grief. Sorry, I responded as if this was anther question. I agree with this Google answer: "There is no difference between fetal bovine serum (FBS) and fetal calf serum (FCS). It is my understanding that the name FCS was more commonly used in the past while FBS is now more commonly used. I haven't come across the term bovine calf serum before, but FBS is harvested from a bovine fetus."
I agree with Thomas. There is no difference between FBS and FCS when you culture human and mouse cancer cell lines including MEF (mouse embryonic fibroblasts).
Bovine and Calf are different animals. FBS and FCS are completely different.
Please check the literature. There are several papers that point that cells behave differently according with the types of Serum in which they are growing. Even FBS has different origins and are commercialized by different companies, makes the cells behave different. So, be careful.
Our group culture Hep-G2 (Human hepatocellular (liver) carcinoma) with MEM as follow:
500ml MEM (GlutaMAXTM, Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) with GlutaMAX Suplement ). We supplement the MEM with 50ml (10%) FBS (Foetal Bovine Serum, 10500-064, 500ml, Gibco), 5ml (1%) NaP (Sodium pyruvate, 11360-039, 100ml, Gibco), and 5ml (1%) AB/AM (Antibiotics/ -Antimycotics, 15240-062, 100ml, Gibco).
Using this media, we have not experience of contamination or change in the morphology or behavior of our HepG2.
Good luck.
Thanks Ernesto, I would be taking care for this and gonna look for more research articles.
Hi Darshana,
Both are Same, go with FCS in case you have to make a choice.
Best !
FBS and FCS are different terms for the same product.
However, I'm a little confused by all these complicated medium recipes posted above. It has been some years since I worked with HepG2, but I remember them as a pretty easy-to-handle cell line? Basically growing in virtually any medium (MEM/ DMEM/ RPMI/ Hams F12 + 5 to 30% FCS). Am I wrong?
edit:
ATCC recommends MEM + 10% FBS:
https://www.lgcstandards-atcc.org/Products/All/HB-8065.aspx#culturemethod
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