Production of erythropoietin by BHK cells growing on the microcarriers trapped in alginate gel beads.

Baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells engineered to produce recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) were cultured at high density on microcarriers entrapped by calcium alginate gel particles. In this system, the BHK cells proliferated not only on the microcarriers but also in vacant spaces in the alginate gel particles. These spaces contributed greatly to high-density cultivation of the cells and a high productivity of EPO.