Advances in stem cell based therapy
A major problem for wide-spread use of CT is the need for ex-vivo expansion of cells to obtain sufficient numbers to treat patients. Standard operating procedures for CT require clinical grade facilities for these cell cultures – a costly process. To make CT production more cost-effective, the EU-funded REACH (Bioreactor for stem cell therapy) project proposed the development of a bioreactor for cell culture. Bioreactors are closed systems in which cells are grown under carefully controlled conditions with continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients. Project activities have concentrated on optimising a closed system for growing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a cell type found in various tissues and commonly used in CT. Major efforts to provide a GMP-compliant clinical grade culture protocol included the utilisation of new culture surfaces and conditions. Using this system, partners managed to grow hundreds of millions of cells that are normally required in CT applications. Cells grown in the new system were extensively characterised. One of the major advantages of bioreactors is their ability to monitor and control the culture environment. In this context, the REACH-participating small and medium enterprises developed optimised sensors for measuring oxygen, pH and culture biomass. They also generated a wireless solution for data transmission and incorporated it in the bioreactor hardware, greatly increasing the robustness of the system. Cells obtained in the project-created Scinus bioreactor were thoroughly compared to traditionally cultured cells. This analysis showed that cells cultured in the new bioreactor were safe and functionally and phenotypically akin to the conventionally produced cells. Overall, REACH technology is an easy and affordable means to generate clinical grade MSCs for therapeutic purposes. Study deliverables enable large scale production of cells, making CT accessible for an even greater number of patients.
Keywords
Cell therapy, mesenchymal stem cells, REACH, bioreactor, stem cells
