# US 2025/0084386 A1 · Method for large-scale production of lentivirus by using gmp-level serum-free suspension cells

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- Number: US 2025/0084386 A1
- Document ID: US20250084386A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/962,655
- Filed: 2024-11-27
- Published: 2025-03-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-29
- Assignees: Shanghai AbelZeta Ltd.
- Applicants: Shanghai AbelZeta Ltd.
- Inventors: Yi HONG; Ting YAN; Jiangguo YING; Haojie ZHANG; Luyi ZHANG; Li ZHANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250084386A1

## CPC

- C12N 7/00: Viruses; Bacteriophages; Compositions thereof; Preparation or purification thereof (preparing medicinal viral antigen or antibody compositions, e.g. virus vaccines, A61K39/00)
- C12N 15/86: Viral vectors
- C12N 2740/15043: viral genome or elements thereof as genetic vector
- C12N 2740/15051: Methods of production or purification of viral material
- C12N 2740/16043: viral genome or elements thereof as genetic vector
- C12N 2740/16051: Methods of production or purification of viral material
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)

## Abstract

Provided is a method for large-scale production of lentivirus by using GMP-level serum-free suspension cells. Said method comprises the following steps: (a) providing a seed solution of packaged cells; (b) inoculating the seed solution in a first culture solution; (c) carrying out subculture of the packaged cells; (d) starting a liquid change operation when a liquid change trigger condition is met; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) 1, 2 or 3 times; (f) starting a transfection operation when a transfection trigger condition is met; (g) optionally performing liquid change after transfection; (h) cultivating the 10 transfected packaged cells; (i) starting harvesting and liquid change operations when a liquid change trigger condition is met; (j) repeating steps (h) and (i) 1, 2 or 3 times; (k) combining each of the recovered liquids; and (1) performing a purifying treatment. The culture solution used in each step is a serum-free cell culture solution.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing lentiviruses using cells in serum-free suspension culture, the method comprising:
(a) providing packaging cells that grow in suspension;
(b) inoculating the packaging cells in a first culture medium, wherein the first culture medium is a serum-free cell culture medium;
(c) culturing the inoculated packaging cells, at conditions set at a temperature of 30-38°° C., a dissolved oxygen concentration of 30-55%, a CO2 concentration of 2-10% and a pH of 6.9-7.4, and controlling dissolved oxygen and/or CO2 concentrations to maintain the pH between 6.9-7.4;
(d) preforming a first liquid change when liquid change trigger conditions are met, wherein the liquid change trigger conditions comprise:
(s1) the pH is ≤6.9; and
(s2) a culture time is ≥72 hours;
(e) repeating steps (c) and (d) n times, wherein n is 0, 1, 2, or 3;
(f) performing transfection.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b), the packaging cells are inoculated at an inoculation density ranging from about 1×106 cells/ml to about 5×106 cells/ml.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b), the first culture medium has a volume ranging from about 3 liters to about 100 liters.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (d), the pH is ≤7.0.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (d), the pH is ≤7.05.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (c), the culture is performed under a shaking condition.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (c), the pH is maintained between 7.0 and 7.35.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the total time of steps (c), (d) and (e) is 72-216 hours.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method produces 1×1012 transducing units (TU) lentiviruses.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the packaging cells are human embryonic kidney epithelial cells.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (d), the first liquid change comprises:
harvesting a supernatant of the culture, wherein the culture before harvesting the supernatant has a volume of Vq1, wherein the culture after harvesting the supernatant has a volume of Vh1, and wherein the ratio of Vq1/Vh1 is 3-15; and
adding a second culture medium to the culture, wherein the second culture medium is a serum-free cell culture medium.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (f), the transfection is performed when transfection trigger conditions are met,
wherein the transfection trigger conditions comprise:
(t1) the total number of cells is 0.05−2×1011 cells;
(t2) the cell density is 0.5−5×106 cells/ml;
(t3) the cell viability rate is ≥90%; and
(t4) the total culture time is ≥72 hours.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further (g) comprising carrying out post-transfection liquid change after step (f).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, after step (f), (h) culturing the transfected packaging cells, at culture conditions set at a temperature of 30-37° C., a dissolved oxygen concentration of 35-55%, a CO2 concentration of 2-10% and a pH of 6.9-7.4, and controlling dissolved oxygen and/or CO2 concentrations to maintain the pH between 6.9-7.4.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(i) starting a second liquid change when liquid change trigger conditions are met, wherein the liquid change trigger conditions comprise:
(s1) the pH is ≤6.9; and
(s2) a culture time is ≥72 hours; and
(j) repeating steps (h) and (i) m times, wherein m is 0, 1, 2, or 3.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein in step (i), the pH is ≤7.0.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein in step (i), the pH is ≤7.05.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein in step (i), the second liquid change comprises:
harvesting a supernatant of the culture, wherein the culture before harvesting the supernatant has a volume of Vq2, wherein the culture after harvesting the supernatant has a volume of Vh2, and wherein the ratio of Vq2/Vh2 is 3-15.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (f), the transfection comprises: mixing one or more plasmids with a transfection reagent to form a mixture, and adding the mixture to the culture.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more plasmids comprise three plasmids or four plasmids.
