Developing Xeno-Free Media for Scalable Production of Dermal Sheath Cells

This project focuses on developing a serum-free, xeno-free culture medium for the scalable production of dermal sheath cells (DSCs) for use in regenerative medicine and cell therapy. DSCs are specialized cells found in hair follicles that have significant potential for applications such as wound healing, skin repair, and tissue engineering. However, current methods for growing these cells rely on animal-derived serum, which can lead to variability, safety concerns, and regulatory challenges for clinical use.

By creating a serum-free medium, this research aims to enable safer, more consistent, and ethically sound production of DSCs for therapeutic purposes. The project combines biomaterials engineering and cell biology approaches to optimize cell growth, viability, and function in this new medium. The long-term goal is to support the development of advanced cell therapies that are ready for clinical translation.

This research is supported through match funding provided by Mitacs and Health Research BC. It contributes to advancing cell-based therapies and strengthening British Columbia’s biomanufacturing and biotechnology capacity.

Keywords: dermal sheath cells, serum-free media, xeno-free culture, cell therapy, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering