STEMdiff BVO Maturation Medium

A specialized cell culture medium from STEMCELL Technologies, formulated for the maturation stage of a blood vessel organoid workflow. Based on the formulation by Wimmer and Penninger and licensed from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), this medium supports the maturation of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived blood vessel organoids (BVOs). After vascular induction, the aggregates are embedded in a collagen/Matrigel® sandwich and cultured in this medium for 5 days, where they sprout and mature into interconnected vascular networks; free-floating organoids can be collected at day 15 for downstream assays. According to the manufacturer, BVOs produced using this kit contain CD31+/CD34+/CD144+/KDR+ endothelial cells and PDGFR-β+/CD146+/SMA+/NG-2+ pericytes.

The kit's serum-containing workflow is described as offering a higher yield of organoids than homemade protocols and can be scaled to a 96-well format for high-throughput screening. The manufacturer states the product should be stored at -20°C with a shelf life of 12 months from the date of manufacture. This medium contains material derived from human plasma; donors have been tested and found negative for HIV-1 and -2, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, and the product should still be handled as potentially infectious under universal precautions. For research use only.