About Human Serum Products
Peripheral blood serum and plasma are similar in that both are comprised of the liquid portion of blood that carries hormones, antibodies, antigens, and other circulating proteins, as well as salt, fatty acids, and water. Unlike plasma, serum does not contain fibrinogen and other clotting factors.
Human blood serum from Charles River is collected in our FDA-registered collection center from healthy donors who have consented under an approved IRB protocol. All blood serum donors are screened for HBV, HCV, HIV, HTLV, WNV, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Syphilis.
Charles River human blood serum is available from healthy donors in a fresh or cryopreserved format through a custom request. Cryopreserved disease-state serum samples are also available. Human blood serum is collected from peripheral blood in a plain or Serum Separator Tube. Use fresh serum immediately upon receipt. For cryopreserved serum, storage at -80°C is acceptable.
Human Serum Function and Uses
Human Serum is used for many important applications, including human cell culture, drug testing, tissue typing, and cell therapy research.
- Cell culture – During pharmaceutical development, it is necessary to use human serum in place of bovine or other serums as a nutrient source for cultured cells. Substituting human serum avoids the risk of immunogenicity resulting from the use of animal-derived proteins and growth factors. Human serum provides superior results compared to animal-derived serum when culturing human primary cells, particularly human immune cells.
- Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing – HLA tissue typing is used to screen human donors for compatibility with a recipient during organ or stem cell transplant. Mismatched donors and recipients can lead to transplant rejection.
- Albumin-based drug delivery – Drug efficacy is partly based on efficient targeting to the treatment site. Human serum contains albumin, a natural transport protein that delivers thyroid hormones, fatty acids, and other substances to their target cells. Pharmaceutical manufacturers co-opt albumin’s function as a carrier protein to bind and deliver drugs to their therapeutic target.
- Human AB serum – Serum from donors with AB blood type lacks antibodies against type A and B antigens, thus minimizing immunoreactivity. Human AB serum is used in cell therapy, transplantation, and other regenerative medicine studies.
- Disease state research – We also offer the following high-quality, well-characterized disease state peripheral blood-derived products: Leukopaks, Immune Cells, Whole Blood, Serum, and Plasma - collected in accordance with an IRB-approved protocol. Our disease state blood-derived products encompass a wide range of diseases.