Namalwa cell line

In addition to recombinant biopharmaceuticals, animal cell culture is used to produce various other biologically based pharmaceuticals. Chief amongst these are a variety of vaccines and hy-bridoma cell-produced monoclonal antibodies (Chapter 13). Earlier interferon preparations were also produced in culture by a particular lymphoblastoid cell line (the Namalwa cell line), which was found to synthesize high levels of several IFN-a s naturally (Chapter 8). 

The Namalwa cell line is cited in a US and/or other patents and must not be used to infringe patent claims. 

After this period, there was an accelerated use of animal cells. Namalwa cells (Finter et al., 1991) were used to produce alpha-interferon by Wellcome in 1986. Vero cells (a cell line derived from monkey) were used for anti-rabies vaccine. Hybridomas were considered acceptable for mAb production and the use of genetically modified CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cells was authorized for the production of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) by Genentech in 1986. 

Some cell lines, such as Namalwa, can grow satisfactorily in medium in which the only protein is albumin. Other cell lines show distinct protein requirements, such as albumin, transferrin, and insulin, or the addition of polypeptide growth factors, isolated from non-serum sources that have shown stimulation of many cell types in culture. Some cells have very fastidious growth requirements and their stability and productivity may be reduced significantly in serum-free media. 

Human B-lymphoblastoid cell line Namalwa is derived from a Burkitt s lymphoma tumour biopsy and can be grown for an indefinitely long period of time (Klein et al., 1979 Biliau et ah, 1973). Although they contain Epstein-Barr (EB) nuclear antigen, Namalwa cells do not release EB virus. The cell line is used for the production of IFN-a. Namalwa cells can be induced to produce IFN by adding Sendai virus to cells pretreated with 2 mM sodium butyrate (Baker et al, 1980 Johnston, 1980) and can be primed with Sendai virus in order to increase the levels of IFN-a produced. 

Namalwa Human tumour cell line Interferon-a production ... 

Baker PN, Morser J Burke DC (1980) Effects of sodium butyrate on a human lymphoblastoid cell line (Namalwa) and its interferon production. Journal of Interferon Research 1 (1) 71-77. 

The way to create a serum-free culture is to adapt the cells to the serum-free medium. In our laboratory, we tried to adapt a human lymphoblastoid cell line, Namalwa, from a medium containing 10% serum to serum-free. We were able to adapt Namalwa cell to a ITPSG serum-free medium which contained insulin, transferrin, sodium pyruvate, selenious acid and galactose in RPMI-1640. In the case of cell adaptation for production of autocrine growth factor, we were able to grow the cell line in serum- and protein-free media as well as in K5 62-K1 (T1) which produces an autocrine growth factor, LGF-1 (leukemia derived growth factor-1). 

Recently, a cDNA encoding a GM3-specific a2-8 SAT (SAT-2 or GD3 synthase) has been isolated from an expression cDNA library of human melanoma cell line WM266-4 by enrichment of Namalwa KJM-1 cells highly expressing GD3 (Sasaki et al., 1994). Anti-GD3 antibody is used for fluorescence-activated... 

Cellular Origin. IFNa is produced by monocytes, macrophages, lymphocytes, and cellular lines such as Namalwa and KGl (Figure 22-27). IFNp is produced by fibroblasts and epithelial cells. However, many other cells can also produce these cytokines, including hematopoietic cells... 

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