Serum-free medium for producing retroviruses
View Patent ↗A method for obtaining a virus vector free of a serum, and a serum-free medium for cultivation of a virus producer cell which can be used for the method are provided. By cultivating a virus producer cell using a serum-free medium containing serum albumin, it is possible to cultivate the cell in a state equivalent to that in a serum-containing medium to produce a virus vector at a sufficient titer. The virus vector prepared from the virus producer cell cultivated in the medium exhibits gene transfer efficiency comparable to that of a conventional vector. The medium is useful for gene therapy and studies thereof.
1. A serum-free medium used for cultivation of a virus producer cell, comprising:
(a) human serum albumin at a concentration of 0.05 to 1% by weight;
(b) calcium at a concentration of 2.70 to 4.51 mmol/L; and
(c) a virus producer cell.
2. The medium according to claim 1 , further comprising interleukin-2.
3. The medium according to claim 2 , wherein interleukin-2 is at a concentration of 10 to 1000 JRU/ml.
4. The medium according to claim 1 , further comprising epidermal growth factor.
5. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the virus producer cell is a recombinant retrovirus vector producer cell.
6. A method for producing a substance of interest, the method comprising cultivating a cell capable of producing a substance of interest in the medium defined by claim 1 to produce said substance of interest.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the cultivation is initiated by inoculating a stock of the cell capable of producing the substance of interest into said medium.
8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the substance of interest is a recombinant retrovirus vector.