A Serum Albumin Medium for the Cultivation of Human Epithelial-Like Cells

Human and equine albumin, prepared as described, diluted in Eagle's basal medium plus inositol sustained satisfactorily the in vitro multiplication of the conjunctival, liver, appendix, HeLa, HEP, KB, Detroit-6, fresh human kidney and amnion cells. Sera from 10 out of 14 horses tested were inhibitory in varying degrees to type I poliovirus and/or type 3 adenovirus. The inhibitory property was stable to heating at 56°C for 30 min. None was inhibitory to Coxsackie virus, group B, type 1. Albumin fractionated from the same sera were found free of inhibitors. Results of comparative virus titrations suggest that the albumin medium may be more suitable than the whole serum medium in certain primary virus isolation procedures using human cells.