Enhanced production of human recombinant proteins from CHO cells grown to high densities in macroporous microcarriers

Macroporous microcarriers entrap cells in a mesh network allowing growth to high densities and protect them from high shear forces in stirred bioreactor cultures. We report the growth of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells producing either recombinant human beta-interferon (β-IFN) or recombinant human tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) in suspension or embedded in macroporous microcarriers (Cytopore 1 or 2). The microcarriers enhanced the volumetric production of both β-IFN and t-PA by up to 2.5 fold compared to equivalent suspension cultures of CHO cells. Under each condition the cell specific productivity (Q (P)) was determined as units of product/cell per day based upon immunological assays. Cells grown in Cytopore 1 microcarriers showed an increase in Q (P) with increasing cell densities up to a threshold of >1 × 10(8) cells/ml. At this point the specific productivity was 2.5 fold higher than equivalent cells grown in suspension but cell densities above this threshold did not enhance Q (P) any further. A positive linear correlation (r (2) = 0.93) was determined between the specific productivity of each recombinant protein and the corresponding cell density for CHO cells grown in Cytopore 2 cultures. With a cell density range of 25 × 10(6) to 3 × 10(8) cells/ml within the microcarriers there was a proportional increase in the specific productivity. The highest specific productivity measured from the microcarrier cultures was ×5 that of suspension cultures. The relationship between specific productivity and cell density within the microcarriers leads to higher yields of recombinant proteins in this culture system. This could be attributed to the environment within the microcarrier matrix that may influence the state of cells that could affect protein synthesis or secretion.