"CHO cells" or Chinese Hamster Ovary cells have a long history as tools
for the generation of biological therapeutics (i.e. monoclonal antibodies, enzymes,
cytokines, and
hormones). CHO cell-derived monoclonal antibodies have been approved to treat a
broad range of indications, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, asthma, HIV, and
neuroblastoma. Several
favorable properties have driven CHO cells' increased use in bioprocessing, including their
resilience to
growth conditions, resistance to viral
infections, and high protein synthesis capacity. Significantly, protein-processing by CHO
cells more
closely
conserves the post-translational modifications (e.g., glycosylation) and folding found in
human proteins.
On top of that, consistent use of a specific cell expression system across
the early and late biotherapeutic protein development stages is critical. For example, the
use of CHO
transit expression in therapeutic monoclonal antibody development expedites
the availability of smaller quantities of antibody candidates, ideal for preliminary in
vitro testing.
Higher-yield stable CHO expression of lead recombinant monoclonal antibodies is a
recommended path towards
later preclinical stages. This approach increases
the probability that candidates for pharmacological and toxicological characterization
conserve
established
glycosylation patterns supporting IND and therapeutic development.