HEK 293 cell suspension culture using fibronectin‐adsorbed polymer nanospheres in serum‐free medium

AbstractPreviously, we reported on suspension culture of anchorage‐dependent animal cells using plain polymer nanospheres in serum‐containing medium. For commercial cell culture, it is more advantageous to use serum‐free medium than serum‐containing medium. To culture anchorage‐dependent animal cells using polymer nanospheres in serum‐free medium, the nanospheres need to be coated with cell adhesion proteins. In this study, we utilized fibronectin‐adsorbed polymer nanospheres for suspension culture of anchorage‐dependent animal cells in serum‐free medium. Fibronectin was adsorbed onto poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) nanospheres (433 nm in average diameter) by immersing the nanospheres in fetal bovine serum. The nanospheres were used to culture human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells in serum‐free medium in stirred suspension bioreactors. Nanospheres attached between HEK 293 cells and promoted cell aggregate formation compared with culture without nanospheres. Most cells in the aggregates were viable over a 10‐day culture period. Importantly, the use of poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) nanospheres promoted the cell growth significantly, compared with culture without nanospheres (3.8‐ vs 1.8‐fold growth). The nanosphere culture method developed in this study removes the time‐consuming and costly process of adaptation of anchorage‐dependent animal cells to suspension culture in serum‐free medium. This culture method may be useful for the large‐scale suspension culture of various types of anchorage‐dependent animal cells in serum‐free medium. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 71A: 128–133, 2004