Simple chitin-based cell culture platform for production of biopharmaceuticals

Objectives Gene therapy using viral vectors and antibody-based therapies continue to expand within the pharmaceutical market. We evaluated whether Cellhesion ® VP, a chitin-based material, can be used as 3D culture platform for cell lines used for the production of antibodies and viral vectors. Results The results of Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and LDH assay revealed that Cellhesion ® VP had no adverse effect to Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) 293, A549 and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) DG44-Interferon-β (IFN) cells. Cell growth analyses showed that Cellhesion ® VP supported the 3D culture of HEK293, A549 and CHO DG44- IFN-β cells with a spherical morphology. Importantly, subculture of these cell lines on Cellhesion ® VP was easily performed without trypsinization because cells readily transferred to newly added scaffold. Our data also suggest that CHO DG44-IFNβ, cultured on Cellhesion ® VP secreted IFNβ stably and continuously during the culture period. Conclusions Cellhesion ® VP provides a simple and streamlined expansion culture system for the production of biopharmaceuticals.