ITSE Animal-Free® – Blood-free cell culture media supplement

Product Description

ITSE Animal-Free® (ITSE AF) is a 100x recombinant insulin, transferrin, selenium, and ethanolamine cell culture supplement, optimized for serum-free and reduced-serum media applications. This fully recombinant, chemically defined formulation provides essential components to support cell growth, metabolic function, and oxidative stress protection, making it ideal for CHO, HEK, VERO, and stem cell culture.

Designed to replace undefined serum-derived supplements, ITSE AF improves cell performance, consistency, and viability across a range of biopharmaceutical, cell therapy, and regenerative medicine applications. Manufactured in an ISO 9001:2015-certified, cGMP-compliant facility in the United States, ITSE AF ensures batch-to-batch consistency, regulatory compliance, and pathogen-free safety.

Advantages

• Optimized for Serum-Free, Animal-Origin-Free Cell Culture
  • Fully recombinant, blood-free supplement, eliminating batch variability associated with serum-derived ITS supplements.
  • Enhances cell proliferation, metabolic activity, and viability in chemically defined media.
  • Supports growth in a wide range of cell types, including CHO, HEK, and primary cells.

• Essential Components for Cell Growth & Performance
  • Insulin – Promotes cell signaling, glucose uptake, and amino acid transport for enhanced metabolic activity.
  • Transferrin – Provides a non-toxic iron carrier, preventing oxidative stress and free-radical formation.
  • Selenium – Required for the activity of antioxidant enzymes, protecting cells from oxidative damage.
  • Ethanolamine – A phospholipid precursor, essential for membrane integrity and the growth of select cell types.
• Animal-Origin-Free Assurance
  • 100% chemically defined and animal-origin-free (AOF) – eliminating risks associated with serum-derived components.
  • Manufactured using a non-animal, non-human host system, ensuring purity and reproducibility.
  • Raw materials, manufacturing equipment, and packaging are fully animal-free, aligning with regulatory and ethical standards.
• Manufactured in the United States
  • Produced in a tertiary-level, ISO 9001:2015-certified facility in the USA.
  • Complete supply and manufacturing chain is owned and operated by InVitria, ensuring unmatched traceability and quality control.
  • Batch-to-batch consistency for reliable integration into cGMP cell culture workflows.
• Ready-to-Use 100x Sterile Liquid Format
  • Supplied as a 100x sterile liquid, allowing for precise supplementation in cell culture media.
  • Blood-free components improve performance consistency, ensuring reproducibility across experiments.
  • Cost-effective formulation, reducing dependence on costly serum supplementation.

Applications

• Serum-Free & Reduced-Serum Cell Culture
  • Supports CHO, HEK, VERO, and stem cell culture in chemically defined media.
  • Enhances cell viability and proliferation without the need for fetal bovine serum (FBS).
• Cell Therapy & Regenerative Medicine
  • Provides a chemically defined alternative to serum-derived insulin and transferrin.
  • Ensures greater control over cell culture conditions for stem cell and immune cell expansion.
• Biopharmaceutical & Vaccine Production
  • Improves cell productivity in protein and viral vector production workflows.
  • Enhances growth and metabolic stability in CHO and HEK-based biomanufacturing.

Technical Specifications

Why Choose ITSE Animal-Free?

ITSE Animal-Free is a cost-effective, chemically defined alternative to traditional ITS supplements, offering unparalleled purity, stability, and regulatory compliance. Whether used for serum-free biomanufacturing, cell therapy, or regenerative medicine, ITSE AF provides a safe, scalable, and animal-free solution for industrial and research applications.

See the Terms page for more information about the trademarks and patents that cover this product.

ITSE Animal-Free Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Product Overview

What Is ITSE Animal-Free and How Does It Support Serum-Free Cell Culture?

ITSE Animal-Free® (cat. no. 777ITS032) is a chemically defined 100x liquid supplement containing recombinant insulin (1.00 g/L), recombinant transferrin (0.55 g/L), selenium, and ethanolamine (0.20 g/L). It supports consistent growth in serum-free and reduced-serum media while providing lipid metabolism support through ethanolamine.

What Does Ethanolamine Do in Cell Culture Media?

Ethanolamine is a phospholipid precursor that supports membrane synthesis and can improve performance of cells that have heightened lipid metabolism requirements in serum-free conditions.

Quality and Regulatory

Is ITSE Animal-Free Animal-Origin-Free and cGMP-Manufactured?

Yes. InVitria manufactures ITSE Animal-Free under cGMP-compliant Quality Management System (QMS) with respect to 21 CFR Part 210/211 at its ISO9001:2015 certified facility in Junction City, Kansas, USA.

What Quality Documentation Is Available for ITSE Animal-Free?

ITSE Animal-Free is supported by a CoA, SDS, Guidelines for Use, Certificate of Origin (CoO) / Animal-Free Statement, ISO9001 certificate, and cGMP Statement. Additional Quality and Regulatory documentation is available on request.

Is ITSE Animal-Free Sterile and Ready to Use?

ITSE Animal-Free is supplied as a sterile-filtered 100x liquid concentrate and is intended to be used as provided. If the container is opened in a non-controlled environment or the material is diluted, re-filtration with a 0.2 µm filter prior to use in sterile workflows is recommended.

Selection and Comparison

When Should I Use ITSE Instead of ITS in Serum-Free Media?

ITSE Animal-Free is the better choice when cells require ethanolamine-supported lipid metabolism in addition to insulin, transferrin, and selenium. It is most commonly evaluated during serum reduction, as an alternative to other ITSE on-market products, adaptation to serum-free conditions, or when phenotype stability is sensitive to media composition.

Is Recombinant ITSE Better Than Plasma-Derived ITSE Supplements?

Plasma-derived ITSE products use transferrin isolated from human blood, which introduces donor variability, adventitious agent risk, and regulatory documentation burden. ITSE Animal-Free replaces plasma-derived transferrin with a fully recombinant component to improve lot-to-lot consistency and simplify raw material qualification.

Applications and Use

What Cell Types Is ITSE Animal-Free Used For?

ITSE Animal-Free is used in primary cell (T, NK, etc), CHO, Hybridoma, HEK293, VERO, and stem cell culture (iPSC, MSC, HSC, CD34+) workflows,as well as other workflows. It is also positioned for broader biomanufacturing, vaccine, and cell therapy workflows where defined inputs are required.

What Concentration of ITSE Animal-Free Should I Use?

ITSE Animal-Free is used at a 1x working concentration (1:100 dilution) as a starting point in defined media. Some applications evaluate higher inclusion (e.g., 2x) during optimization depending on cell type and culture density.

Packaging and Ordering

What Packaging Options Are Available for ITSE Animal-Free?

ITSE Animal-Free is available in 10 mL, 100 mL, and 10 mL × 10 packaging formats, plus scale packaging for larger manufacturing needs. Contact InVitria for bulk and custom packaging options.

Storage and Handling

What Are the Storage Conditions for ITSE Animal-Free?

Store ITSE Animal-Free at 2–8°C, protected from light, with containers tightly sealed; avoid freezing. Shelf life is 2 years from date of manufacture.