Evaluating the impact of high Pluronic® F68 concentrations on antibody producing CHO cell lines

Pluronic® F68 (P-F68) is an important component of chemically-defined cell culture medium because it protects cells from hydrodynamic and bubble-induced shear in the bioreactor. While P-F68 is typically used in cell culture medium at a concentration of 1 g/L (0.1%), higher concentrations can offer additional shear protection and have also been shown to be beneficial during cryopreservation. Recent industry experience with variability in P-F68-associated shear-protection has opened up the possibility of elevated P-F68 concentrations in cell culture media, a topic that has not been previously explored in the context of industrial cell culture processes. Recognizing this gap, we first evaluated the effect of 1–5 g/L P-F68 concentrations in shake flask cultures over ten 3-day passages for cell lines A and B. Increase in terminal cell density and cell size was seen over time at higher P-F68 concentrations but protein productivity was not impacted. Results from this preliminary screening study suggested no adverse impact of high P-F68 concentrations. Subsequently fed-batch bioreactor experiments were conducted at 1 and 5 g/L P-F68 concentrations with both cell lines where cell growth, viability, metabolism, and product quality were examined under process conditions reflective of a commercial process. Results from these bioreactor experiments confirmed findings from the preliminary screen and also indicated no impact of elevated P-F68 concentration on product quality. If additional shear protection is desired, either due to raw material variability, cell line sensitivity, or a high-shear cell culture process, our results suggest this can be accomplished by elevating the P-F68 concentration in the cell culture medium without impacting cell culture performance and product quality. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 832–837. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.