Variation in composition of media and reagents used in the preparation of cell cultures from human and other animal tissues: Dulbecco’s, Earle’s, and Hanks’ balanced salt solutions

When comparison was made of directions given for three salt solutions commonly used in cell culture preparations and identified as Dulbecco’s, Earle’s, and Hanks’, variations in composition were found. Some significantly alter the suitability of the materials for the intended use. Other differences may have less effect. This brief review reveals a tendency among researchers to follow procedures obtained from colleagues for the preparation of laboratory reagents and media, to cite the original publication rather than their colleagues’ work as the source of the information, and to fail to compare the two for differences. Some failures in cell culture propagation may be attributed to similar instances with other published but incorrectly cited work. Tables are provided that facilitate comparison of the correct original formulations with variants from selected published sources.