Continuous production of carcinoembryonic antigen in hollow fiber cell culture units: brief communication.

A line of cultured cells derived from a primary human adenocarcinoma of the colon was grown in the extracapillary spaces of hollow fiber tissue culture units in the absence of serum components of high molecular weight (greater than 10,000). The cells were capable of producing more than 30 microgram of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) per day, provided that the extracapillary fluid was changed frequently. The concanavalin-A binding and molecular sieve chromatography properties of the tissue culture-derived CEA were similar to those of CEA isolated from metastatic colon cancer tissue.