Implementation of a Macroporous Polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate Cryogel-Based Mini-Bioreactor System to Improve Monoclonal Antibody Production.

Background: Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are pioneers in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, such as cancer, asthma, poisoning, viral infections, etc. As the market value of mAbs increases in the biopharma industry, the demand for high quantities is met by upscaled production using bioreactor systems. Thus, disposable, porous matrices called cryogels have gained the primary focus for adherent support in the proliferation of hybridoma cells.

Methods: In this study, a gelatin-immobilized polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate-based cryogel material (disc-shaped, 9 mL bed volume) was synthesized, and a mini-bioreactor set up developed for culturing hybridoma cells to produce mAbs continuously. The hybridoma clone, 1B4A2D5, secreting anti-human serum albumin monoclonal antibodies, was immobilized in the cryogel matrix (2 discs, 18 mL bed volume).

Results: The hybridoma cells were attached to the matrix within 12 h after inoculation, and the cells were in the lag phase for seven days, where they were secreted mAb into the circulation medium. During the initial exponential phase, the glucose consumption, lactic acid production, and mAb production were 3.36 mM/day, 3.67 mM/day, and 55.61 µg/mL/day, respectively. The medium was refreshed whenever the glucose in the media went below 50% of the initial glucose concentration. The cryogenic reactor was run continuously for 25 days, and the mAb concentration reached a maximum on the 17th day at 310.59 µg/mL.

Conclusion: The cumulative amount of mAbs produced in 25 days of running was 246 µg/mL, 7.7 times higher than the mAbs produced from T-flask batch cultivation. These results demonstrate that the developed polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate-based cryogel reactor can be used efficiently for continuous mAb production.