Side effects of culture media antibiotics on cell differentiation.

Besides the advance in scientific knowledge and the production of different compounds, cell culture can now be used to obtain cells for regenerative medicine. To avoid microbial contamination, antibiotics were usually incorporated into culture media. However, these compounds affect cell biochemistry and may modify the differentiation potential of cultured cells. To check this possibility, we grew human adipose tissue-derived stem cells and differentiated them to adipocyte with or without antibiotics commonly used in these culture protocols, such as a penicillin-streptomycin-amphotericin mix or gentamicin. We show that these antibiotics affect cell differentiation. Therefore, antibiotics should not be used in cell culture because aseptic techniques make these compounds unnecessary.