Can I cultivate macrophages in complete medium without cytokines?
No. Macrophages require cytokine support for survival.
Without cytokines, macrophages will die very quickly, even when cultured in otherwise complete medium. To maintain viability, Macrophage Base Medium XF (basal medium + SupplementMix) must be supplemented with:
the appropriate cytokines (e.g. GM‑CSF or M‑CSF, depending on macrophage type), or
at least human AB serum as a minimal survival support.
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