Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is widely used as a growth supplement in cell culture due to its richness in embryonic growth-promoting factors, but presents ethical concerns, batch-to-batch variability, high cost, and biosafety issues. Alternative supplements are needed to support consistent and reliable cell growth in vitro. Human platelet lysate (hPL) and chemically defined supplements offer potential substitutes, but they require evaluation across different cell types. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two commercial serum supplements, PLTGold (an hPL product) and FastGro (a chemically defined supplement), as alternatives to FBS for supporting the growth and proliferation of the prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and LNCaP. These cell lines were cultured in media supplemented with different concentrations of FBS, PLTGold, or FastGro. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay after 3, 4, and 7 days. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed using propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry after 3 days of culture. Finally, BrdU incorporation assays were conducted to evaluate cell proliferation. Interestingly, PLTGold demonstrated cell viability comparable to or even greater than FBS in PC-3 cells and maintained LNCaP viability, whereas FastGro reduced the viability in both cell lines. FastGro-induced cell cycle arrest was observed in PC-3 cells, indicating a more pronounced inhibitory effect. PLTGold is a promising alternative to FBS, particularly for PC-3 cells, whereas FastGro requires optimization. These results suggest that serum supplements can be used as substitutes for FBS, but further optimization and validation are required.
Keywords: Cell cycle; FBS; FastGro; LNCaP; PC-3; PLTGold; Proliferation; Prostate cancer; Viability.
© 2025. The Author(s).