Fertility and Sterility
Volume 93, Issue 3 , Pages 976-985, February 2010

High concentration of synthetic serum, stepwise equilibration and slow cooling as an efficient technique for large-scale cryopreservation of human embryonic stem cells

  • Ji Yeon Lee, M.Sc.

      Affiliations

    • Fertility Center, CHA General Hospital, CHA Research Institute, Pochon CHA University, Seoul, South Korea
    • ,
  • Jeoung Eun Lee, M.Sc.

      Affiliations

    • CHA Stem Cell Institute, Pochon CHA University, Seoul, South Korea
    • ,
  • Dong Ku Kim, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • CHA Stem Cell Institute, Pochon CHA University, Seoul, South Korea
    • ,
  • Tae Ki Yoon, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Fertility Center, CHA General Hospital, CHA Research Institute, Pochon CHA University, Seoul, South Korea
    • ,
  • Hyung Min Chung, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Fertility Center, CHA General Hospital, CHA Research Institute, Pochon CHA University, Seoul, South Korea
    • CHA Stem Cell Institute, Pochon CHA University, Seoul, South Korea
    • ,
  • Dong Ryul Lee, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Fertility Center, CHA General Hospital, CHA Research Institute, Pochon CHA University, Seoul, South Korea
    • CHA Stem Cell Institute, Pochon CHA University, Seoul, South Korea
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Dong Ryul Lee, Ph.D., Fertility Center, CHA General Hospital, CHA Research Institute, Pochon CHA University, 606-5 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135–081, South Korea (FAX: 82-2-501-8704).

Received 27 August 2008; received in revised form 29 September 2008; accepted 7 October 2008. published online 19 November 2008.

Objective

To develop an efficient freezing method suitable for large-scale cryopreservation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

Design

Experimental study.

Setting

Research institute.

Patient(s)

None.

Intervention(s)

Two genetically modified hESC lines, H9-EF1-GFP and CHA-hES3-EF1-GFP, were cryopreserved in cryovials using a combination of two equilibration methods (one-step and stepwise) and two cooling vehicles (cryo-container and program-controlled freezer). After thawing, the survival and differentiation rate were compared among groups.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

The hESC survival was assessed by alkaline phosphatase staining and differentiation status was determined by flow cytometry using an SSEA-4 antibody.

Result(s)

In both H9-EF1-GFP and CHA-hES3-EF1-GFP cells, the survival rate was highest in the group using stepwise equilibration and program-controlled freezer, and lowest in the group using one-step equilibration and cryo-container. In the groups using cryo-container, the survival and the frequency of undifferentiated cells in both cell lines was highly improved in a stepwise equilibration compared with one-step. Thawed hESCs were positively stained with pluripotent markers SSEA-4, TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81, and alkaline phosphatase. The karyotypes and expression of three germ layer markers in both cell lines were not changed after freezing/thawing.

Conclusion(s)

The stepwise equilibration of Knockout Serum Replacement and cryoprotectant during freezing and thawing resulted in higher survival rates by reducing osmotic damage irrespective of cooling vehicles.

Key Words: Cryopreservation, human embryonic stem cells, modified stepwise equilibration, large-scale cryopreservation, survival rate

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 J.Y.L. has nothing to disclose. J.E.L. has nothing to disclose. D.K.K. has nothing to disclose. T.K.Y. has nothing to disclose. H.M.C. has nothing to disclose. D.R.L. has nothing to disclose.

 Supported by a grant (SC1140) from the Stem Cell Research Center, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Korea.

PII: S0015-0282(08)04202-7

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.10.017

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 93, Issue 3 , Pages 976-985, February 2010

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