A Flexible Cell Culture Media For High Titer Production Of AAV In HEK 293

By Leah Hirsh, Katharyne Bostin, Cameron Wilcox, Yiqun Chen, Bingnan Gu, Samin Rezania

Maximizing upstream productivity in gene therapy requires a careful balance between volumetric titer and packaging efficiency. Low titers often lead to inflated operational costs and capacity constraints, while a high proportion of empty capsids can dilute therapeutic potency and increase immunogenicity risk. Addressing these critical quality attributes requires a foundational media system that provides both consistency and flexibility.

Recent data demonstrates that utilizing a chemically-defined, animal-origin-free media system can significantly enhance AAV production across various serotypes, including AAV2, AAV8, and AAV9. By supporting robust expansion of multiple HEK293 cell lines and showing strong compatibility with various transfection reagents and enhancers, this approach enables developers to optimize their specific processes without being locked into a rigid platform. Achieving multi-fold gains in genome titer while maintaining favorable full-to-empty ratios is essential for meeting regulatory CMC guidelines and ensuring commercial viability.