Understanding and modulating apoptosis in industrial cell culture.

Currently, the production of therapeutic recombinant proteins relies heavily on the large-scale culture of eukaryotic cells that secrete the protein of interest into the media. It has been recognized that programmed cell death, or apoptosis, may pose a significant hurdle to maximum productivity in such systems. With a greater understanding of the molecular events causing apoptosis, alterations can be made to the cells and culture conditions to prevent apoptosis and enhance volumetric productivity.