Description

Serum Free Cryoprotective Media (SFCM); DMSO Free

Background

PurMa Biologics has spent several decades to find a replacement for serum in cryoplrotective media. We have evaluated different combinations of synthetic polymers that can replace serum and have successfully developed a fully defined cryoprotective media. PurMa^TM Serum Free Cryoprotective Media (SFCM); DMSO Free is free of animal products and is fully synthetic.

Disadvantages of the Serum in Cryoprotective Media

Serum and its components are well-known for their beneficial effect on cells during cryopreservation. Nevertheless, there is known disadvantages of the serum in Cryoprotective media:

1. The inability to fully sterilize them.
2. They contain unknown composition.
3. The variation among batch to batch. This results in inconsistency in the rate of survival, recovery, and viability in cryopreservation.

Therefore, a chemically defined Cryoprotective media resolves the several restrictions including the above-mentioned issues.

Although, DMSO with the penetrating ability, is a strong cryoprotective agent, there is however some limitations and disadvantages. For more details about the beneficial role of DMSO,  please see our other cryoprotective media with DMSO, such as:

limitations and disadvantages of DMSO

1. Basically, it has a broad toxicity.
2. Additionally, it modifies the expression of cells such an NK and T cells
3. It alters the mRNA level of the de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A. this therefore, accompanies by hyper- or hypo-methylation of many genetic loci.
4. Moreover, it causes difficulties in scaling up DMSO-based cryoprotectants.
5. It damages the mitochondria in certain cell culture models such as astrocytes.
6. It negatively impacs cellular membrane/cytoskeleton structure integrity by interacting with proteins and dehydrating lipids.
7. Besides, it Induces unwanted stem cell differentiation.
8. Affects cellular epigenetic profile resulting in undesirable phenotypic disturbances. That is basically because of repeated sage of DMSO even at sub-toxic levels.
9. Afterwards, it is necessary to remove DMSO by intensive washing. That in turns results in cell sensitivity to osmotic/mechanical stresses occurring. This is a costly- and time-consuming process during freezing and thawing process and moreover leads to a significant loss of cell number.

PurMa™ Serum Free Cryoprotective Media DMSO Free (SFCM) prevents cell hydration and formation of ice crystals. So, it makes an excellent choice for short- and long-term cryopreservation. More over,  PurMa^TM SFCM allows this media to preserve your sensitive cells without penetrating the cells.

Please follow the exact protocol as using non penetrating cryomedia requires slow freezing (1°C/ min)

Special Features

• Ready-to-Use medium.
• It is free of serum and DMSO ( or any other penetrating cryoprotective agents)
• Each and every Lot of PurMa^TM Serum Free Cryoprotective Medium (SFCM besides the pathogens and sterility evaluations, goes through Survival test (by Trypan Blue method), viability & performance evaluation (by MTT Test), and for the rate of recovery by Alamar Blue test.
• PurMa^TM Serum Free Cryoprotective Medium (SFCM) has been designed for the lowest cell loss during freezing and thawing & highest cell recovery and is proven to have over 62% survival and recovery rate after long term cryopreservation.
• Sterile (Passed through 0.2µm filters).
• PurMa^TM Serum Free Cryoprotective Media (SFCM); DMSO Free has proven successfully for primary and commercial cell lines.
• Suitable for clinical applications.

Guideline

for PurMa Biologics guideline for cryoprotection, click here as well as in corresponding tab: PurMa™ Guideline for Cryoprotecting various cell lines

References

1. Cryopreservation of stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue in a serum-free freezing medium. Thirumala et al. J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2010 Mar;4(3):224-32. doi: 10.1002/term.232. PMID: 19967746.
2. Phase transitions and mechanisms of cryoprotection of serum-/xeno-free media based ondextran and dimethyl sulfoxide. Pakhomov et al. Cryobiology. 2022 Aug;107:13-22. doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2022.06.004. Epub 2022 Jun 24.