LPM-3D: Cell culture media to grow and expand Sox9+ multipotent mouse lung stem cells

Researchers at Stanford and their colleagues have developed cell culture media, known as LPM-3D, to grow a pure population of multipotent lung stem cells in culture. The lungs are the target of many prevalent diseases but, currently, there are no regenerative therapies for lung disease. One challenge has been obtaining a multipotent stem cell that can generate both lung compartments- the airways (which allow air to pass in and out of the lungs) and the alveoli (which allow gasses to pass in and out of the blood). As a first step toward future lung regenerative therapies, the inventors identified Sox9⁺ multipotent stem cells that can generate both airways and alveoli. This technology provides the LPM-3D cell culture media they developed to enable long term expansion of these multipotent lung stem cells. The media was used in a feeder-free, serum-free 3D culture regimen that allowed for rapid proliferation, great expansion and in vitro culture of the cells for more than 6 months. This technology enables the normally transient Sox9⁺ multipotent stem cells to be stably and clonally expanded over the long term in culture.

Stage of research
The inventors have shown that in LPM-3D conditions, Sox9⁺ lung stem cells rapidly proliferated and maintained progenitor markers and normal karyotype for more than 6 months. Further, the stem cells differentiated into airway and alveolar lineages in vitro and in vivo.

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