Monoclonal antibody: high density culture of hybridoma cells and downstream processing for IgG recovery.

Getting higher yields of monoclonal antibody (MAb) is a problem in Hybridoma Technology which has two major bottlenecks--(a) poor yield of hybridized cells; and (b) low cellular productivity of MAb in culture. There are three ways of obtaining high MAb yield in vitro--(a) large scale culture of hybrid cells; (b) high density culture; and (c) enhancing individual cellular productivity in culture. Currently, focus is on correct synergistic combination of fortified nutrient media, bioreactor design and mode of operation. Maximisation of cell culture longevity, maintenance of high specific antibody secretion rates, nutrient supplementation, waste product minimization and control of environmental conditions are important parameters for improvement of large scale production of MAb. Though, MAb yield has enhanced rapidly over the decade, there is a growing concern for decrease in quality of MAb secreted. Further research is therefore necessary to take full advantage of MAb as a potential diagnostic agent for in vivo therapy.