Contributing to a (cell) cultural shift: Human platelet lysate is a suitable replacement for fetal calf serum when culturing the HTR8/SVneo extravillous trophoblast cell line

While suitable as a universal supplement in cell culture, fetal calf serum (FCS) has several downsides, including its bovine origin and batch-to-batch variability. In this study, we investigated human platelet lysate (HPL) as a potential replacement for FCS when culturing an extravillous trophoblast cell line. HTR8/SVneo cells were cultured in conventional medium supplemented with 10% FCS or serum-free medium supplemented with varying concentrations of HPL for 24 h or 3 weeks, whereafter LDH release, metabolic activity and cytokine release were assessed. Cellular viability and cell counts were measured for each passage during the 3 weeks of culturing. Cells were successfully cultured in all media. Media with 1% and 10% HPL provided the best yields, but culturing in 10% HPL also increased LDH release. Medium composition had a direct effect on IL-6 release and affected IL-8 release after three weeks of culturing. Furthermore, HPL interfered with the detection of RANTES at higher HPL concentrations. Based on our findings, we recommend culturing HTR8/SVneo cells in serum-free medium with 1% HPL. However, we suggest that researchers assess how medium composition affects relevant outcomes before implementing a serum free culture protocol.