Metabolic engineering of animal cells

Animal cells are widely used in industrial processes as sophisticated cell factories to obtain a high number of complex proteins with correct post-translation modifications and biological activity, with many applications in diagnostic and therapeutic uses. However, from the bioprocess point of view these are still sub-optimal processes, mainly due to the complex requirements for the in vitro growth of the cells, their metabolic and physiological patterns, and the response of mechanisms developed for in vivo growth to the external conditions found in culture in vitro. Metabolic engineering, combined with the corresponding redesign of the process itself, offers the possibility to the enhance the performance of animal cells grown in in vitro systems, targeting how to redesign the cells themselves to make them more robust, efficient, and productive. This paper reviews efforts made in this direction, and how the metabolic engineering of animal cells has been approached to reshape their profiles in various key aspects, namely: central metabolism, protection of apoptosis, regulation of cell cycle, and finally, the combined engineering of different aspects.