Animal protein-free media for cultivation of cells

Abstract

The present invention relates to animal protein-free cell culture media comprising polyamines and a plant- and/or yeast-derived hydrolysate. The invention also relates to animal protein-free culturing processes, wherein cells can be cultivated, propagated and passaged without adding supplementary animal proteins in the culture medium. These processes are useful in cultivating cells, such as recombinant cells or cells infected with a virus, and for producing biological products by cell culture processes.

1 . A method for expressing a target protein, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a culture of cells that have been grown in an animal protein-free cell culture medium comprising an animal protein-free cell culture medium, comprising at least one polyamine and at least one protein hydrolysate derived from the group consisting of plants and yeast;    b) introducing a nucleic acid sequence comprising a sequence coding for the target protein into the cells;    c) selecting the cells carrying the nucleic acid sequence; and    d) selectively inducing the expression of the target protein in the cells.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cells are selected from the group consisting of mammalian cells, insect cells, avian cells, bacterial cells, and yeast cells.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the cell/target protein combination is selected from the group consisting of CHO cells/coagulation factor VIII, BHK cells/erythropoietin, Epstein Barr virus transformed, immortalized human B cells/human antibodies.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cells are cultivated by a method selected from the group consisting of batch-cultivation, feed-batch-cultivation, perfusion cultivation, and chemostat-cultivation.