Eicosadienoic acid enhances antibody production in CHO cells by prolonging culture longevity and attenuating apoptosis

Fatty acids are key nutrients exerting multiple functions in cells. This study aimed to investigate the effect of fatty acids on antibody expression in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Among different fatty acids, cis, cis − 11, 14-eicosadienoic acid (EDA, C20:2, Δ11,14-cis) was screened to exert the strongest effect to boost antibody yield in CHO-IgG cells tested. In batch and fed-batch culture processes, the antibody yield was promoted by 48% and 59% with supplementation of 10 µM of EDA respectively. Meanwhile, the culture duration was significantly prolonged while the apoptosis ratios were suppressed by EDA. The addition of EDA also promoted the yield of other antibodies transiently expressed in CHO-K1 cells, including Rituximab, Herceptin, and one anti-uPAR antibody. These findings revealed the potential of EDA in promoting antibody expression in CHO cells, shedding light on the application of functional fatty acids in therapeutic antibody manufacturing.