Initial culturing techniques for hES cells originated from methodology developed for murine ES (mES cells), including the use of mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeder layers

Studies have clearly delineated that hES cells can be grown in the absence of feeders as long as they are plated on an appropriate extracellular matrix (ECM) and cultured in feeder-conditioned media or media supplemented with appropriate soluble factors. In 2001, the first feeder-free hES culture system was demonstrated.

Corning® Matrigel® Matrix coupled with different feeder-conditioned media has been widely accepted as an alternative method for culturing hES cells. Many independent studies suggest that the Corning® Matrigel® Matrix surface will likely be compatible with a number of hES culturing media and that this surface may also be used to culture other types of ES cells.

While MEF feeder layers have proven to be a robust surface for long-term culture of hES cells, they present a number of limitations. Concerns about contamination of hES cells from animal-derived pathogens from MEF feeder layers makes this method of culturing unsuitable for clinical applications.