Use of Raman spectroscopy for the label-free discrimination of CHO cells associated with antibody expression

The performances of host cells that produce therapeutic proteins is important for the efficient production of drug substances, to minimize production costs, and to ensure competitive prices for commercial drugs in the biopharmaceutical industry. However, the selection of cells that exhibit high performances in the expression of proteins and in the construction of master cell banks is a complicated and time-consuming process. Consequently, novel methods are required to assess the expression levels of drug molecules and to select dominant cells at an early stage. In this study, Raman spectroscopy, which constitutes a label-free analytical method for obtaining molecular information derived from host cells, was used to investigate antibody expression in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Antibody-producing and non-producing CHO cells were cultured and live cell observations were conducted using Raman spectroscopy. Multivariate analysis of the Raman spectra demonstrated different classifications of antibody-producing and non-producing CHO cells. The results of this study suggest that Raman spectroscopy has the potential to evaluate the performances of host cells for biopharmaceutical production and enhance the efficiency profiles of production lines.