Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold a great therapeutic potential for regenerative
medicine and tissue engineering due to inherent immunomodulatory and reparative properties. Hence,
it necessitates a readily available supplyof MSCs to meet the clinical demands adequately. Although,
a human placenta can produce MSCs, the in vitro culture-mediated cellular senescence often affect the
quality of cell product. Thus, the current study has explored the feasibility of basic fibroblast growth
factor (bFGF) to enhance the growth of placenta-derived MSCs (PLC-MSCs). Methods:The basic
fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was supplemented to optimise the growth of MSCs. The effects of
bFGF on morphology, growth kinetics and cytokine secretion of PLC-MSCs were assessed. Results:
The bFGF supplementation increased the proliferation of PLC-MSCs in a dose-dependent manner and
40 ng/ml showed a high trophism effect on PLC-MSC’s growth. In the presence of bFGF, PLC-MSCs
acquired a small and well-defined morphology that reflect an active proliferative status. BFGF has
induced PLC-MSCs to achieve a shorter doubling time (45 hrs) as compared to the non-supplemented
PLC-MSCs culture (81 hrs). Furthermore, bFGF impelled PLC-MSCs into cell cycle machinery where
a substantial fraction of cells was driven to S and G2/M phases. Amongst, 36 screened cytokines, bFGF
had only altered the secretion of IL-8, IL-6, TNFR1, MMP3 and VEGF. Conclusion:The present study
showed that bFGF supplementation promotes the growth of PLC-MSCs without significantly deviating
from the standard criteria of MSCs. Thus, bFGF could be considered as a potential mitogen to facilitate
the large-scale production of PLC-MSCs.