In addition to being used as building materials and pulp raw materials, researchers from Kyushu University in Japan and other institutions have given wood materials a new function - for human stem cell cultivation.

Kyushu University recently issued a press release saying that in order to achieve efficient in vitro culture of human cells, the current mainstream cell culture medium requires serum, collagen and other ingredients from animals other than humans. Many companies have developed cell culture fluids that do not contain exogenous animal ingredients, but many cell culture scaffolds that serve as a place for cell proliferation still use animal ingredients. Considering the risk of rejection and infection, a cell culture medium that does not contain any animal ingredients is more ideal.

Researchers have found that cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from trees can be used as cell culture scaffolds after special chemical treatment. Using this specially treated CNF, combined with a culture medium that does not contain animal exogenous components, the proliferation capacity of human mesenchymal stem cells (a type of pluripotent stem cells) cultivated is not inferior to that of traditional methods, and can be used clinically.

The research paper has been published in the latest issue of the journal Glycopolymers.