Development of PCL-PEG nanofibrous mats as alternative carriers for recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells

In this study, six polyblended nanofiber mats, composed of poly ε-caprolactone (PCL)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) mixed at different proportions in an electrospinning solution were fabricated, and then utilized alongside commercial polyester microcarriers for the mass cultivation of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells. The SEM micrographs showed that the rCHO cells were attached to the nanofiber mats with significant differences in their affinities, which can be related to the chemical structure and hydrophilicity of the nanofiber mats. The cell densities of the rCHO cells grown on the polyblended PCL-PEG nanofiber mat (80:20)14% were much higher when compared with the commercial polyester microcarrier. Moreover, recombinant protein production increased by approximately 20% when cells were grown on the PCL-PEG nanofiber mat (80:20)14%. The results of this research indicated a potential for the replacement of the commercial polyester microcarrier with the PCL-PEG polyblended nanofiber mats, in order to achieve mass cultivation of recombinant animal cells in industrial bioreactors.