Methods for Estimating the Probability of Clonality in Cell Line Development

Mammalian cell banks for biopharmaceutical production are usually derived from a single progenitor cell. Different methods to estimate the probability that the cell banks are clonally derived, or the probability of clonality (PoC), associated with various cloning workflows have been reported previously. In this review, a systematic analysis and comparison of the methods used to calculate the PoC are provided. As the single cell deposition and high-resolution imaging technologies continue to advance and the cloning workflow evolves, an aligned understanding and best practice on estimating the PoC is necessary to compare different cloning workflows adopted across the biopharmaceutical industry and it will help to accelerate regulatory acceptance.