Ghani, K., Wang, X., de Campos-Lima, P. O., Olszewska, M., Kamen, A., Riviere, I., & Caruso, M. (2009). Efficient human hematopoietic cell transduction using RD114-and GALV-pseudotyped retroviral vectors produced in suspension and serum-free media. Human gene therapy, 20(9), 966-974.
doi: 10.1089/hum.2009.001.

In this study, as a proof of principle, the generation of a packaging cell line was reported that produces amphotropic retroviral vectors in suspension and serum-free medium (SFM). These cell lines grow in suspension and SFM, and produce high-titer RD114- and gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV)-pseudotyped vectors for a 3-month culture period. Viral particles released are as robust during repeated freeze-thaw cycles and on thermal inactivation at 37 degrees C as their counterparts produced in cells cultured adherently with serum. RD114- and GALV-pseudotyped vectors produced in suspension and SFM efficiently transduce human lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells. As these retroviral packaging cell lines distinctively maintain high vector titers while growing in suspension and SFM, it was concluded that these cell lines are uniquely suitable for large-scale clinical-grade vector production for late-phase clinical trials involving gene transfer into hematopoietic cells.

The SFM used in this study was previously described (Ghani et al., 2007). The precise formulation of the serum-free medium is not present.