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. 2019 Jun;5(6):329-332.
doi: 10.1016/j.trecan.2019.05.004. Epub 2019 May 29.

Cell Culture Medium Formulation and Its Implications in Cancer Metabolism

Tobias Ackermann  1 , Saverio Tardito  2
Affiliations

Cell Culture Medium Formulation and Its Implications in Cancer Metabolism

Tobias Ackermann et al. Trends Cancer. 2019 Jun.

Abstract

Historic cell culture media were designed to ensure continuous cancer cell proliferation in vitro. However, their composition does not recapitulate the nutritional environment of the tumor. Recent studies show that novel media formulations alleviate the nonphysiological constraints imposed by historic media, and lead to cell culture results that are more relevant to tumor metabolism.

Keywords: cancer metabolism; cancer models; physiological medium.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Metabolic reactions observed in cancer cells cultured in historic and physiological media.
Arrows and names highlighted in red indicate reactions or metabolite levels enhanced in historic media, such as DMEM. Nutrients and metabolites with a dashed outline are absent in DMEM. 5-FU: 5-fluorouracil, AcCoA: acetyl-Coenzym A, ASS: argininosuccinate, ATP: adenosine triphosphate, Citn: citrulline, Fum: fumarate, FUMP: 5-fluorouracil monophosphate, HIF1α: hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, αKG: α-ketogluterate, MetF: metformin, NAD: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, Oaa: oxaloacetate, Orn: Ornithine, Pyr: pyruvate, UMPS: uridine monophosphate synthetase.
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