Methylcellulose has synergistic growth benefits with poloxamer in suspension CHO culture

Chemically defined cell culture media used in the growth of mammalian cells for biopharmaceutical applications is a complex mixture of various agents to promote cell growth and function. Poloxamer 188 (P188) is a well-known shear protectant added to media for use in CHO suspension culture but is not without drawbacks. This work explores the use of methylcellulose (MC), a well-known pharmaceutical polymer, in CHO media as an alternative and/or complementary additive to P188. IgG-producing DG44 CHO cell lines were cultured in a variety of suspension systems, up to 3 L reactors, to which MC and/or P188 were added. MC was an effective shear protectant in relatively lower shear systems but is less effective on its own in higher shear cultures. Across the range of conditions studied, MC and P188 were found to have a synergistic benefit with each other, where the combination of both additives produced cultures with higher viable cell densities than cultures containing either additive alone. These results indicate that MC is a viable option for use in media optimization studies as part of ongoing process intensification and optimization for CHO manufacturing.