MCDB 201 is a low-serum medium suitable for the culture of diploid adherent cells. It enhances cell density, extends cell viability, improves cell morphology, shortens doubling time, and reduces production and purification costs. MCDB 201 is widely applicable to the large-scale industrial production of human vaccines such as rabies, Japanese encephalitis, varicella, and live attenuated hepatitis A.
Figure 1. Comparison of serial passaging of diploid adherent cells cultured in MCDB 201 medium versus MEM.
Diploid adherent cells grew robustly in MCDB 201 medium and were stably passaged. With a seeding density of 4.0 × 106 cells/T75, cell density reached 12.0–14.0 × 106 cells/T75 on the third day post-passaging, while viability consistently exceeded 95%. The doubling time was approximately 40 hours. Compared with MEM + 10% NBCS, MCDB 201 achieved significantly higher total cell density with comparable viability, demonstrating its suitability for supporting low-serum, high-density growth of diploid adherent cells.