Immobilization of hybridoma cells in sol-gel silica matrices

DESIMONE MF, DE MARZI MC, ALVAREZ GS, MALCHIODI EL, DIAZ LE.

Rosario, Argentina

Congreso; XLII Reunion Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigacion Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular; 2006

Reunion Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigacion Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular

The sol-gel process is an inorganic polymerization taking place in mild conditions, allowing the association of mineral phases with organic or biological systems. The possibility to immobilize drugs, enzymes, antibodies and even whole cells without loss of their biological activity led to the development of diagnostic tools, drug delivery carriers as well as new hosts for artificial organ design. Encapsulated cell technology has the potential to treat a wide range of diseases by the controlled and continuous delivery of biological products to the host. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of sol-gel immobilization on the function of hybridoma cells producing an anti-peptidoglycan receptor protein (PGRP) I-á.monoclonal antibody (mAb).  In order to immobilized hibrydomas, we resuspended cells in 50% of sol-gel precursor and 50% of complete medium (RPMI 1640, PS/PG, BFS), obtaining between 1.5x105 to 12x105 immobilized cells/ml. Higher mAbs yield were obtain with sol-gel containing 6x105 cells/ml. Cell morphology was conserved as it was observed by optical and fluorescence microscopy. Further studies are being performed in order to improve cell viability and mAbs production.The design of such novel devices with significant added value when compared to current products is probably a key factor when foreseeing industrial developments of sol-gel materials in medicinal science.