THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT CULTURE MEDIA ON THE GROWTH-CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN SQUAMOUS CARCINOMA-CELLS OF THE UPPER AERODIGESTIVE TRACT

Sera containing media are frequently used for cultivation of epithelia l cells, but the influence of serum on analytic methods can be signifi cant. For this reason the development of serum-free media is of great significance. We investigated the influence of serum-free medium on gr owth characteristics of human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells of t he upper aerodigestive tract and compared these in serum-containing me dia, using cloned SCC cell lines HLaC-78 and HCFMK-1. Three serum-cont aining culture media were used:MEM-Instamed, RPMI-2640 and MCDB-153, e ach containing 10% fetal calf serum. Serum-free culture medium was MCD B-153 supplemented with bovine hypophysis extract, insulin and ethanol amine. Results showed that supplement-enriched, serum-free medium was suitable for culturing SCC cells. When compared to serum-containing me dia, cell growth of the SCC cell lines was significantly higher in the serum-free medium.