Real time monitoring of multiple parameters in mammalian cell culture bioreactors using an in-line Raman spectroscopy probe

The FDA's process analytical technology initiative encourages drug manufacturers to apply innovative ideas to better understand their processes. There are many challenges to applying these techniques to monitor mammalian cell culture bioreactors for biologics manufacturing. These include the ability to monitor multiple components in complex medium formulations non-invasively and in-line. We report results that demonstrate, for the first time, the technical feasibility of the in-line application of Raman spectroscopy for monitoring a mammalian cell culture bioreactor. A Raman probe was used for the simultaneous prediction of culture parameters including glutamine, glutamate, glucose, lactate, ammonium, viable cell density, and total cell density.     

In situ Raman spectroscopy for simultaneous monitoring of multiple process parameters in mammalian cell culture bioreactors

In this study, the application of Raman spectroscopy to the simultaneous quantitative determination of glucose, glutamine, lactate, ammonia, glutamate, total cell density (TCD), and viable cell density (VCD) in a CHO fed‐batch process was demonstrated in situ in 3 L and 15 L bioreactors. Spectral preprocessing and partial least squares (PLS) regression were used to correlate spectral data with off‐line reference data. Separate PLS calibration models were developed for each analyte at the 3 L laboratory bioreactor scale before assessing its transferability to the same bioprocess conducted at the 15 L pilot scale. PLS calibration models were successfully developed for all analytes bar VCD and transferred to the 15 L scale. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012     

Comparison of spectroscopy technologies for improved monitoring of cell culture processes in miniature bioreactors

Cell culture process development requires the screening of large numbers of cell lines and process conditions. The development of miniature bioreactor systems has increased the throughput of such studies; however, there are limitations with their use. One important constraint is the limited number of offline samples that can be taken compared to those taken for monitoring cultures in large‐scale bioreactors. The small volume of miniature bioreactor cultures (15 mL) is incompatible with the large sample volume (600 µL) required for bioanalysers routinely used. Spectroscopy technologies may be used to resolve this limitation. The purpose of this study was to compare the use of NIR, Raman, and 2D‐fluorescence to measure multiple analytes simultaneously in volumes suitable for daily monitoring of a miniature bioreactor system. A novel design‐of‐experiment approach is described that utilizes previously analyzed cell culture supernatant to assess metabolite concentrations under various conditions while providing optimal coverage of the desired design space. Multivariate data analysis techniques were used to develop predictive models. Model performance was compared to determine which technology is more suitable for this application. 2D‐fluorescence could more accurately measure ammonium concentration (RMSE_CV 0.031 g L^?1) than Raman and NIR. Raman spectroscopy, however, was more robust at measuring lactate and glucose concentrations (RMSE_CV 1.11 and 0.92 g L^?1, respectively) than the other two techniques. The findings suggest that Raman spectroscopy is more suited for this application than NIR and 2D‐fluorescence. The implementation of Raman spectroscopy increases at‐line measuring capabilities, enabling daily monitoring of key cell culture components within miniature bioreactor cultures. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:337–346, 2017     

Immobilized mammalian cell cultivation in hollow fiber bioreactors

Cultivation of animal cells for the production of recombinant proteins is an important method for manufacturing complex proteins requiring posttranslational processing. One of the often considered methods for cultivation is by immobilization of the cells in hollow fiber bioreactors (HFBRs). These systems allow the cells to grow to high densities in a shear protected environment; furthermore the product can be accumulated in high concentration in the case of ultrafiltration HFBRs. Operation and scale-up are constrained by nutrient and product transport with oxygen transfer to growing cells being the most critical parameter. Mathematical models describing HFBRs have proved to be useful in quantitating and understanding the constraints and guiding the scale-up of this approach to animal cell cultivation.     

Evaluation and applications of optical cell density probes in mammalian cell bioreactors

On-line optical cell density probes were implemented to continuously monitor the cell densities in mammalian cell bioreactor and to achieve advanced bioreactor controls. We tested cell density probes from six manufacturers in high cell density bioreactors. When externally calibrated, Aquasant and Ingold backscattering probes produced the most linear probe responses (PR) versus cell density (CD), followed by the ASR and Cerex laser probes. Monitek and Wedgewood transmission probes had lower resolutions. All probes were tested in two murine hybridoma fermentations. Cell densities varied between 1 x 10(6) cells/mL to 20 x 10(6) cells/mL and the bioreactors were operated for 5 to 7 weeks. For our bioreactors, Aquasant, Ingold, ASR, Wedgewood, and Monitek probes gave satisfactory responses. Little fouling was observed with any probe at the end of 2 weeks. Fouling was a possibility after 3 weeks in one bioreactor but its effect can be easily corrected. Cell density control and specific perfusion control of bioreactors based on the Aquasant probe were achieved. Implementation of cell density probe based perfusion control, instead of "step perfusion adjustments" based on manual hemacytometer control, will result in smoother operation, healthier cultures, increased medium delivery efficiency, and reduced operational excursions. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Packed-bed bioreactors for mammalian cell culture: bioprocess and biomedical applications

This article describes the development history of packed-bed bioreactors (PBRs) used for the culture of mammalian cells. It further reviews the current applications of PBRs and discusses the steps forward in the development of these systems for bioprocess and biomedical applications. The latest generation of PBRs used in bioprocess applications achieve very high cell densities (>10(8) cells ml(-1)) leading to outstandingly high volumetric productivity. However, a major bottleneck of such PBRs is their relatively small volume. The current maximal volume appears to be in the range of 10 to 30 l. A scale-up of more than 10-fold would be necessary for these PBRs to be used in production processes. In biomedical applications, PBRs have proved themselves as compact bioartificial organs, but their metabolic activity declines frequently within 1 to 2 weeks of operation. A main challenge in this field is to develop cell lines that grow consistently to high cell density in vitro and maintain a stable phenotype for a minimum of 1 to 2 months. Achieving this will greatly enhance the usefulness of PBR technology in clinical practice.     

Fluctuations in continuous mammalian cell bioreactors with retention.

Continuous flow bioreactors with cell retention have been increasingly used for the cultivation of mammalian cells. The potential advantages of such bioreactors are high cell concentrations and volumetric productivities. In many reported cases, these systems have shown fluctuations in cell concentrations of various frequency and magnitude. To analyze the dynamics of the fluctuations, a model-based approach is followed. Simulations showed that large fluctuations in biomass resulted in response to fluctuations in the retention ratio when the system is operated at high dilution rate and high cell retention. The dependence of cell concentration fluctuations on variations in dilution rate and retention ratio was established by a cross-correlation statistical analysis on available experimental data. The slower dynamics and the fluctuation propensity of retention systems suggest that continuous culture without retention is more convenient for kinetic studies. In all likelihood, continuous culture with retention can be stabilized by controlling both the retention ratio and the dilution rate.     

Genetically engineering mammalian cell lines for increased viability and productivity

The generation of new host cell lines for the production of foreign proteins can be achieved by cell engineering. This approach can be used to enhance the cell's ability to produce proteins that are properly processed and secreted at elevated levels and consequently can increase the overall productivity of an expression system. One potential target for cell engineering is the modification of the cell's protein folding capacity. The appropriate folding, assembly, localization and secretion of newly synthesized proteins is dependent upon the action of a group of proteins known as molecular chaperones. Improving the host cell's chaperoning capacity might increase the yield of properly folded recombinant proteins by preventing the formation of insoluble aggregates. Another potentially beneficial cell engineering goal is the inhibition of physiological cell death. The productivity of genetically engineered cells is dependent upon the maintenance of high levels of cell viability throughout the bioprocess period. Fluctuations in a cell's environment can trigger a deliberate form of cell death known as apoptosis. The proteins that mediate this self-destruction are currently being characterized. Regulating the expression of these death genes by cellular engineering could limit the loss of productivity that results from the physiological death of the recombinant cell line.     

Flow-cytometry and cell sorting: an efficient approach to investigate productivity and cell physiology in mammalian cell factories

The performance of cell lines used for the production of biotherapeutic proteins typically depends on the number of cells in culture, their specific growth rate, their viability and the cell specific productivity (qP). Therefore both cell line development and process development are trying to (a) improve cell proliferation to reduce lag-phase and achieve high number of cells; (b) delay cell death to prolong the production phase and improve culture longevity; (c) and finally, increase qP. All of these factors, when combined in an optimised process, concur to increase the final titre and yield of the recombinant protein. As cellular performance is at the centre of any improvement, analysis methods that enable the characterisation of individual cells in their entirety can help in identifying cell types and culture conditions that perform exceptionally well. This observation of cells and their complexity is reflected by the term "cytomics" and flow cytometry is one of the methods used for this purpose. With its ability to analyse the distribution of physiological properties within a population and to isolate rare outliers with exceptional properties, flow cytometry ideally complements other methods used for optimisation, including media design and cell engineering. In the present review we describe approaches that could be used, directly or indirectly, to analyse and sort cellular phenotypes characterised by improved growth behaviour, reduced cell death or high qP and outline their potential use for cell line and process optimisation.     

Protein adsorption in polysulfone hollow fiber bioreactors used for serum-free mammalian cell culture

The recovery of serum-free medium proteins from poly-sulfone hollow fiber bioreactors (HFBRs) was investigated. More than 99% of the initial transferrin was adsorbed to the hydrophobic hollow fibers within 2 h of HFBR operation. A methodology to minimize transferrin adsorption by pre-adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was developed. BSA adsorption on suspended cut fibers was virtually complete within 1 h. BSA-coated fibers adsorbed only 5% of the transferrin within 10 days, whereas uncoated cut fibers adsorbed more than 99% of the transferrin within 1 h. An improved HFBR startup procedure, using a BSA-coating step before inoculation, resulted in substantially higher transferrin recovery. Additional factors influenced extracapillary space (ECS) transferrin concentrations. Pronounced downstream polarization of transferrin was observed in the ECS. In addition, the 30-kDa nominal molecular weight cutoff ultrafiltration membranes rapidly leaked transferrin from the ECS to the lumen. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Scaled-up production of mammalian neural precursor cell aggregates in computer-controlled suspension bioreactors

The clinical use of neural precursor cells (NPCs) for the treatment of neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, requires overcoming the scarcity of these cells through controlled expansion. The main objective of the present study was to develop a large-scale computer-controlled bioprocess for the expansion of mammalian NPCs in suspension culture by scaling up existing reactor protocols. In order to support the oxygen demands of the maximum cell densities achieved, the volumetric mass transfer coefficient was kept above 1.10/h while scaling-up from small-scale 125 mL vessels to large-scale 500 mL bioreactors. In addition, the maximum shear stress at the impeller tip was maintained between 0.30 and 0.75 Pa to reduce damage to the cells. The resulting large-scale bioprocess achieved maximum viable cell densities of 1.2 x 10(6) cells/mL and a batch multiplication ratio of 9.1. Moreover, the process successfully maintained the NPC characteristics observed in small-scale studies.     

A comparison of three different mammalian cell bioreactors for the production of monoclonal antibodies

Three different commercially available stirred tank reactors for mammalian cell culturing were compared for the ability to support hybridoma cell growth and monoclonal antibody production in batch mode operation. Despite quite similar vessel geometries differences were found both in growth and production profiles in the systems. These differences can possibly be related to the different aeration modes used in the bioreactors, and the levels of shear stress created by stirrer and agitator in the tanks.     

Process design and development of a mammalian cell perfusion culture in shake-tube and benchtop bioreactors

The development of mammalian cell perfusion cultures is still laborious and complex to perform due to the limited availability of scale-down models and limited knowledge of time- and cost-effective procedures. The maximum achievable viable cell density (VCD_max), minimum cell-specific perfusion rate (CSPR_min), cellular growth characteristics, and resulting bleed rate at steady-state operation are key variables for the effective development of perfusion cultures. In this study, we developed a stepwise procedure to use shake tubes (ST) in combination with benchtop (BR) bioreactors for the design of a mammalian cell perfusion culture at high productivity (23 pg·cell⁻¹·day⁻¹) and low product loss in the bleed (around 10%) for a given expression system. In a first experiment, we investigated peak VCDs in STs by the daily discontinuous medium exchange of 1 reactor volume (RV) without additional bleeding. Based on this knowledge, we performed steady-state cultures in the ST system using a working volume of 10 ml. The evaluation of the steady-state cultures allowed performing a perfusion bioreactor run at 20 × 10⁶ cells/ml at a perfusion rate of 1 RV/day. Constant cellular environment and metabolism resulted in stable product quality patterns. This study presents a promising strategy for the effective design and development of perfusion cultures for a given expression system and underlines the potential of the ST system as a valuable scale-down tool for perfusion cultures.     

Effect of specific growth rates on productivity in continuous open and partial cell retention animal cell bioreactors.

A clonal derivative of a transfectant of the SP2/0 myeloma cell line producing a chimeric monoclonal antibody was cultivated in both continuous open and continuous partially-closed bioreactors. Using an open system for the determination of kinetic parameters, we showed that the production of this chimeric mAb was growth associated. As such, the volumetric productivity increased linearly with increasing dilution rate up to the maximum dilution rate. Three continuous cultivations employing partial cell retention were conducted. In agreement with mathematical predictions, the product titer and volumetric productivity were independent of the degree of cell retention when the total dilution was held constant. When cells were maintained at a low specific growth rate, the product titer was independent of dilution rate and the volumetric productivity increased with increasing dilution rate, again in agreement with mathematical predictions. Since the partially-closed bioreactor could be operated at dilution rates in excess of the maximum specific cellular growth rate, volumetric productivities were greater than those achievable in the open bioreactor. However, when cells were maintained at a high specific growth rate, cell accumulation was limited and product titers decreased at high dilution rates. Therefore, the volumetric productivity in this latter case did not increase at higher dilution rates.     

Rapid immunoassay technique for process monitoring of animal cell fermentations.

A calibration and quality control technique suited to process monitoring with immunoassay is demonstrated. The particle concentration fluorescence immunoassay (PC-FIA) is shown to provide a sensitive and rapid method for the quantification of specific biomolecules in cell cultures. Smoothing of linear calibration parameters is performed by forming weighted averages of standard points as the run progresses. These estimates are then used to determine slope and intercept values for improved calibration. The nonuniformity of the fluorescent signal variance is also considered, and a weight model is developed to describe the relationship between signal fluorescence and signal variance for weighted linear curve fitting. Pooling calibration results over the process run improves overall assay performance as determined by using standard control chart analysis. This method is suitable for semicontinuous monitoring of animal cell fermentations and has been used here to measure cell-associated and culture supernatant concentrations of monoclonal antibody (Ab) from hybridoma cells. The cell-associated Ab concentration correlates with cell-specific production rate. Assay times on the order of 10 min for supernatant and 25-30 min for cell-associated Ab concentrations can be achieved, making this procedure suitable for process monitoring and control. Under these conditions the assay has a detection limit of approximately 10 ng/mL, providing a sensitive and specific method for the quantification of cell culture constituents.     

Automated imunoanalysis systems for monitoring mammalian cell cultivation processes

Two different automated immunoanalysis systems are presented. Both are based on the principles of flow-injection analysis and were developed to provide reliable, rapid monitoring of relevant proteins in animal cell cultivation processes. One system uses a turbidimetric analysis, and the other employs a heterogeneous chemistry with immobilized immunocomponents. For both systems, the analysis time is in the range of a few minutes, and a complete analysis cycle, including triplicate analyses and various washing steps, is in the range of 20–30 minutes. Samples from cultivation processes can be analyzed directly without dilution. Quantitation of proteins such as rt-PA or monoclonal antibodies can be performed over an analyte concentration range of 1–1000 mg/L. Both systems were compared to conventional ELISA assays on microtiter plates. The turbidimetric analysis system also included a biosensor for simultaneous glucose determination.     

Online flow cytometry for monitoring apoptosis in mammalian cell cultures as an application for process analytical technology

Apoptosis is the main driver of cell death in bioreactor suspension cell cultures during the production of biopharmaceuticals from animal cell lines. It is known that apoptosis also has an effect on the quality and quantity of the expressed recombinant protein. This has raised the importance of studying apoptosis for implementing culture optimization strategies. The work here describes a novel approach to obtain near real time data on proportion of viable, early apoptotic, late apoptotic and necrotic cell populations in a suspension CHO culture using automated sample preparation in conjunction with flow cytometry. The resultant online flow cytometry data can track the progression of apoptotic events in culture, aligning with analogous manual methodologies and giving similar results. The obtained near-real time apoptosis data are a significant improvement in monitoring capabilities and can lead to improved control strategies and research data on complex biological systems in bioreactor cultures in both academic and industrial settings focused on process analytical technology applications.