Media Matters: Phenol Red and Fetal Bovine Serum Estrogen in Traditional Cell Culture Media Influence Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (hMSC) Processes and Differentiation in a Sex-Biased Manner.

ABSTRACT: Estrogens are global regulators of cellular signaling pathways, impacting fundamental processes and phenotypes that are essential for tissue remodeling and homeostasis. Traditional cell culture media contains estrogen-mimetic compounds, including phenol red and endogenous estrogen in fetal bovine serum (FBS). However, the potential of these compounds to bias in vitro studies, particularly when considering sex as a biological variable, remains unclear. This gap in understanding critically impacts the culture of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs), whose basic functions and differentiation potential, central to cell therapy and tissue engineering, are sensitive to perturbations in the culture conditions. Despite this, the effect of estrogens from cell culture media on male and fem

SUBMITTER: Bradford JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12767299 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature