What type of mammalian cells are commonly used in recombinant DNA technology to produce monoclonal antibody medications?

• A. Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells
• B. HeLa cells
• C. HEK 293 cells
• D. Vero cells

Answer: (A)

Monoclonal antibodies require mammalian expression to achieve proper folding, disulfide bonds, and human-like glycosylation, all of which affect efficacy and half-life. Among mammalian cell lines, Chinese Hamster Ovary cells are the go-to for producing therapeutic antibodies because they grow well in suspension, in chemically defined, serum-free media, and can be scaled up in large bioreactors. They also have a long, well-established regulatory track record and can be engineered to optimize glycosylation patterns, making the antibodies more consistent and effective. Other cell lines like HeLa or HEK293 are valuable for research and smaller-scale work but don’t have the same combination of robust large-scale production, regulatory familiarity, and human-like post-translational modification that CHO cells offer. Vero cells are used more for vaccines and have different glycosylation and regulatory considerations. For these reasons, CHO cells are the best choice for monoclonal antibody manufacture.