Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the cornerstone of biopharmaceutical production, accounting for 70% of all approved recombinant protein production. These immortalized cells offer high adaptability, productivity and human-like post-translational modifications, making them ideal for large-scale drug production.
However, optimizing CHO cell culture and maximizing productivity remains a challenge. Factors like cell line selection, media formulation and feeding strategies can directly impact the quality and yield of biologics.
This infographic highlights the key advantages of CHO cells and the technologies that are pushing the boundaries of cell culture productivity.
Download this infographic to discover:
- The primary advantages of using CHO cells in biopharmaceutical manufacturing
- Advanced strategies to improve CHO cell productivity and media optimization
- How feeding strategies and cell culture modes impact yield and consistency
CHO Cell
Culture
By Mariana Gil, PhD | Designed by Luiza Augusto
The Engine of Biotherapeutic Production
Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells are an immortalized cell line derived from ovarian
epithelial cells of the Chinese hamster.1
First established in the late 1950s, this cell
line has become the engine of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, accounting for 70%
of all approved recombinant protein production.2
Their adaptability, high productivity
and ability to perform human-like post-translational modifications make them ideal for
large-scale drug production.
This infographic explores the advantages of using CHO cells for biologics
manufacturing as well as technologies that are helping to improve cell viability,
productivity and product consistency.
Advantages of CHO cells
for biomanufacturing
Several types of CHO cells are derived from the original CHO-K1 cell line, each optimized
for specific biomanufacturing applications. Several characteristics make these cells ideal
for large-scale production of biopharmaceuticals:3,4
Manufacturing steps Advantages of CHO cells
1
2
3
4
High tolerance to genetic manipulation.
Able to grow in serum-free and chemically
defined media devoid of animal-derived
components.
High regulatory acceptance: Since the
1980s, the strong safety profile of CHO
cells has been validated by the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) and European
Medicines Agency (EMA).
Many human pathogenic viruses are unable
to replicate in CHO cells.
Simplified
purification
steps
High batchto-batch
consistency
Increased
safety
This allows for:
Can be transfected transiently or stably to
express proteins.
Able to produce recombinant proteins with
post-translational modifications (PTM)
compatible with humans.
Cell line variants are optimized for chemical
selection and gene amplification (e.g., CHODG44 and CHO-DXB11).
High yield: Able to produce 3-10 grams of
recombinant protein per liter of culture.
Scalability: CHO-S variant optimized to grow
in suspension, allowing volumetric scalability
and resulting in high cell densities.
Cell line development
Genetic engineering to express the
biomolecule of interest.
Upstream processing
Cell culture expansion in bioreactor.
Downstream processing
Harvesting, purification and formulation of
the recombinant protein.
Product release
Three tips to optimize the process
1
Genetically modified CHO cells with enhanced expression systems and reduced metabolism limitations lead to:
Use high-productivity cell lines
2
Peptones added to cell cultures provide essential
amino acids, peptides and growth factors.
A multiomic analysis of cellular responses to various
nutrients offers a comprehensive approach to
optimizing the nutrient composition of CHO cell
culture media.
Customized media formulations ensure an optimal supply of essential nutrients which:
Reduces waste accumulation
Higher yields
Promotes optimal cell
growth
Reduced variability
Enhances the quantity and
quality of the expressed
proteins
Optimized product quality
Optimize the cell culture media and supplements
3
Batch mode
Fixed volume of medium
without media exchange or feed
supplementation.
Productivity is limited due
to the build-up of toxic byproducts and depletion of
nutrients.
Fed-batch mode
Lean production medium
followed by regular feed
supplementation.
Cell culture growth and viability
are improved, resulting in
increased productivity.
Perfusion mode
Continuous replenishment of
medium and removal of waste
products.
Perfusion cultures improve nutrient supply to cells, increasing both cell density and product yield.
Maximizes productivity
by maintaining cells in the
exponential growth phase for
extended periods.
Minimizes batch-to-batch
variability by continuously
harvesting the product.
Use advanced feeding strategies
References
1. Puck TT, Cieciura SJ, Robinson A. Genetics of somatic mammalian cells. III. Long-term cultivation of euploid cells from human
and animal subjects. J Exp Med. 1958;108(6):945-956. doi:10.1084/jem.108.6.945
2. Lalonde ME, Durocher Y. Therapeutic glycoprotein production in mammalian cells. J Biotechnol. 2017;251:128-140. doi:10.1016/j.
jbiotec.2017.04.028
3. Tihanyi B, Nyitray L. Recent advances in CHO cell line development for recombinant protein production. Drug Discov Today
Technol. 2020;38:25-34. doi:10.1016/j.ddtec.2021.02.003
4. Zhu MM, Mollet M, Hubert RS, Kyung YS, Zhang GG. Industrial production of therapeutic proteins: cell lines, cell culture, and
purification. Handbook of Industrial Chemistry and Biotechnology. 2017;1639-1669. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-52287-6_29
As the demand
for biologics and
personalized medicine
continues to expand,
CHO cells remain
essential in driving
efficiency in the
biopharmaceutical
industry. Continuous
improvements in cell
culture technologies
can further enhance
CHO cell productivity,
as well as product
quality and safety,
ensuring the reliable
delivery of life-saving
medicines to patients.
Productivity
25%
Polypeptides
10%
Other
components
15%
Salt and
trace metals
30%
Free amino acids
Cell culture media
20%
Carbohydrates
Media
Harvest
Cell retention
device
Cell bleed, discard
Genomics
Epigenomics
Transcriptomics
Proteomics
Metabolomics
