A COMPARISON OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY PRODUCTIVITY IN DIFFERENT HOLLOW-FIBER BIOREACTORS

Cell culture in hollow fiber bioreactors has been used as a method for large-scale production of monoclonal antibodies, viruses, cell-associ ated proteins and cancer antigens. We have examined an important varia ble in culturing cells in hollow fiber bioreactors: bioreactor composi tion. Eight different bioreactor designs which varied in nominal molec ular weight cutoff, surface area, fiber material and ultra filtration rate were compared in large-scale hollow fiber cultures. A standard pr otocol utilizing the hybridoma 3C11 (ATCC HB 8511) or African green mo nkey kidney cells (Vero cells, ATCC CRL 1587) was designed so that the only variable examined was the hollow fiber bioreactor in use. The re sults suggest that surface area has little effect on antibody producti vity, while fiber composition and ultrafiltration rate may play an imp ortant role. Vero cell growth was affected by both fiber composition a nd ultrafiltration rate.