Entrapment of animal cells for the production of biomolecules such as monoclonal antibodies
Scheirer, W.; Nilsson, K.; Merten, O.W.; Katinger, H.W.; Mosbach, K.
Developments in Biological Standardization 55: 155-161
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-5149 PMID: 6610587 Document Number: 220088
An important problem in the production of monoclonal antibodies is the large-scale cultivation of hybridoma cells in vitro. Fragility of cells and suboptimal in vitro cultivation methods have led to poor results in larger scale production up to now. To lower the mechanical stress on the cells we tried to entrap the cells into microspheres made of polymer material. In addition to other materials, agarose as embedding medium was investigated and results with hybridoma and other, non anchorage-dependent cell lines are given. The conclusion of the results is that encapsulation of living cells is possible and entrapped cells remain viable and continue to produce the desired substance for at least several weeks. The substances are secreted through the polymer matrix. Handling of microspheres is shown to be easy and simple fermentation apparatus may be used for the production on a reliable technical scale. Some problems remain unsolved, such as the determination of viable cell count within the microspheres and cultivation in columns which seems to be the simplest form of continuous production process.