The American Association of Blood Banks requires routine culture of hematopoietic progenitor cells prior to bone marrow transplantation. We sought to evaluate the cost of that requirement and the incidence and clinical significance of positive cultures. We performed a retrospective analysis of transplant recipients at our institution. Of the 605 patients for whom 1,934 consecutive cultures of harvests were done between December 1992 and February 1996, 11 had positive cultures. Six patients received a culture-positive harvest with no adverse effects. The total cost of cultures was $35,660 (U.S. $). In North America and worldwide in 1995, routine culture of harvests would have prevented 7.9 and 18.9 cases of bacteremia, respectively, at a cost of $95,000 per bacteremia prevented. We conclude that routine culture of hematopoietic progenitor cells yields low rates of positivity and that infusion of contaminated harvests rarely results in clinically adverse outcomes.

The True Cost of Cell Culture

Since its inception, the cost of mammalian cell culture has decreased significantly. As we have gained experience growing cells, making media, producing components, etc., cell culture has become faster, more robust, more productive, and more standardized. Despite these advances, cell culture is still a complex process that has many costs. The stem cell and CHO lines being cultivated today require much more understanding than the chicken heart fibroblasts of yesteryear (see this 2010 paper vs. the 1919 paper).

When evaluating the cost of cell culture, it is important to consider all the costs that go into cultivating cells. Labor and time account for one of the largest costs associated with cell culture (although they are probably a smaller portion of costs at 20,000 L, but at that scale many considerations change). Accelerating adaptation to new growth conditions, reducing the scale up period, and shortening batch times can all significantly reduce the total cost of cell culture.

Increasing throughput shortens the time to publication, increases the number of experimental conditions tested, and gets products to market faster.

A few ideas for what costs go into cell culture (feel free to comment on what is missing or what shouldn’t be on that list): Time

• Planning
• Vendor qualification
• Product qualification
• Scale up
• Setup
• Sampling
• Cleanup
• Analysis

Direct Inputs

• Single-use components
• Media
• Supplements
• Electricity
• Lab gas

Infrastructure

• Environmental controls
• Incubators
• Sterilization equipment

Other

• Process risk
• Supplier risk
• Fixed-asset depreciation
• Waste processing
• Overhead costs