Stem cell-based technologies are one of the most promising approaches in the further advancement of cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Also, great hopes are linked to using stem cells as a tool for drug discovery. In order to make progress towards commercialization, researchers in the field are evaluating standardization of their cultivation and efficient scale-up.
For many applications like disease modeling, drug toxicity assessment, and manufacture of stem cell-based products, three-dimensional (3D) cell aggregates are of great interest. Researchers at the Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET) in Portugal have tested the suitability of the Eppendorf DASbox® Mini Bioreactor System for the cultivation of the human tumor cell line H157 as 3D cell aggregates.
Widely established in traditional cell culture, controlled bioreactors have the potential to establish reproducible expansion of stem cells. They provide extensive options for monitoring and control of key parameters such as pH and dissolved oxygen in real-time and facilitate a controlled differentiation of the cells. Through scalable bioreactor design, results obtained in small scale can be transferred to larger working volumes while maintaining optimum mass transfer.
> Download white paper: Controlled Cultivation of Stem Cells
> Download infographic: Stem Cell Expansion in Bioreactors
> Listen to podcast: Scaling up Cell Therapy Manufacture
Our infield application specialist Dr. Philipp Nold gave an interview to Cell & Gene Therapy Insights in which he talks about advancements and challenges in stem cell bioprocessing and what the sector might learn from biologics production.
Since the pioneering development of cell reprogramming by Shinya Yamanaka in 2006, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have risen to be the most promising alternative to ethically problematic embryonic stem cells. Controlled cultivation and scale-up in clinical grade as well as ways to control their differentiation towards their final destiny will be key steps towards commercial use of these cells.
Dr. Robert Zweigerdt and his team at Hannover Medical School are investigating human pluripotent stem cell culture for clinical use. They established a process using the Eppendorf DASbox® Mini Bioreactor System equipped with BioBLU® Single-Use Vessels. As part of the EU-funded research project TECHNOBEAT, Eppendorf and the Hannover Medical School aim at scaling up the culture and develop a GMP-compliant process.
> Watch webinar: Controlling Expansion and Cardiomyogenic Differentiation
> Download application note: Scalable Expansion of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
> Download press release: EU funds Stem Cell Technologies for Heart Repair (TECHNOBEAT)
Researchers from TissUse® GmbH generated hiPSC-derived neurospheres for drug research applications. They demonstrated the potential of the DASbox Mini Bioreactor for such a process.
> Download application note: Production of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem CellDerived Cortical Neurospheres
> Download interview: Leopold König from TissUse GmbH
A team of researchers from Ncardia® GmbH developed a bioprocess for the large-scale manufacturing of cardiomyocytes derived from a variety of healthy and diseased hiPSC lines. They expanded hiPSCs as cell aggregates in a DASbox® Mini Bioreactor System and scaled-up the process using a BioFlo 320 bioprocess control system.
> Download application note: Controlled, Large-Scale Manufacturing of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes
> Watch webinar: From small-scale stem cell production to large-scale hiPSC-based drug development
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells derived from the bone marrow, from adipose tissue, cord blood or other tissues related to the embryonic mesoderm. They are relatively easy to obtain and have great potential for cell therapy and drug screening.
Various MSCs have been successfully cultivated in stirred-tank bioreactors.
> Download application note: Expansion of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
> Download publication: Billion-cell expansion
Researchers at Pluristem® have gained a lot of experiences with packed-bed bioreactors and are using this technology for stem cell bioprocessing. Biomass derived in that way has been used in a Phase 1 clinical trial.
The Stem Cell Community Day connects researchers from all over the world to review recent advances in the area of stem cells, with a special focus on cultivation in stirred-tank bioreactors.
At our 1st Stem Cell Community Day in April 2017 we brought together experts from industry and academia, to discuss latest achievements, challenges, and chances in stem cell bioprocessing for research and commercial manufacturing.
eBook: Advancing medicine - Can cell and gene therapies paint a picture of perfect future health?
(The Medicine Maker, sponsored by Eppendorf)
3.2 MB, PDF
