Print
Email
Recent research collaboration between BioCentriq, Inc. and panCELLa, a Pluristyx Company, aims to evaluate the efficacy of panCELLa's genetically modified, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived feeder cells.
The collaboration between BioCentriq and panCELLa aims to evaluate the potential of genetically-engineered iPSC-derived feeder cells in enhancing the expansion rate, total yield, and potency of Natural killer cells (NK), ultimately advancing the development of cellular therapies. This partnership leverages the innovative capabilities of both companies in iPSC technology, which is a rapidly growing field in regenerative medicine. This comes at a time when the cell and gene therapy market is projected to experience significant growth, with a CAGR of 26.2% expected from 2023 to 2027, reaching a value of US$53,950.5 million as per BioIntel360. The rapid growth of the cell and gene therapy market over the last five years, with a CAGR of 28.0%, highlights the potential of this field and the importance of collaborations like this one to accelerate the development and delivery of novel therapies.
By harnessing the potential of iPSC to create genetically-engineered feeder cells, the partnership aims to accelerate the development and delivery of novel NK cell therapies.
BioCentriq is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that specializes in the acceleration of cell therapy development and manufacturing. They have made plans to grow and cryopreserve the feeder cell bank so that it can be used as an activator for NK cells produced from adults and iPSCs.
In both static and dynamic culture conditions, the primary goal of this expansion is to assess the viable cell yield and potency of manufactured NK cells.
This approach will aid in identifying the optimal conditions for the activation of NK cells, which will ultimately enable the production of high-quality and potent NK cells for use in cell therapies. The use of feeder cells will help support the expansion of the NK cells and increase the overall yield of viable cells. BioCentriq's expertise in the development and manufacturing of cell therapies positions them to be an essential partner in advancing the field of NK cell therapies.
PanCELLa has created a feeder line that is derived from their proprietary, genetically modified iPSCs. This feeder line has been developed to function as a key raw material for developers and their partners in the creation of NK cell therapies. With an established and scalable platform that can be tailored to improve NK cell stimulation, expansion, and manufacturability, the feeder line is intended to address the difficulties involved in producing NK cell therapies.
PanCELLa and its sub-licensees offer research versions for assessment or clinical-grade formats for therapeutic use to businesses interested in utilising panCELLa's feeder line. This strategy makes it simple for therapy developers to adopt new technology and accelerate the advancement of NK cell therapeutics.
BioCentriq, a CDMO dedicated to speeding up the research and manufacturing of cell therapies, will also expand and cryopreserve the feeder cell bank so that it can be used as the reagent to activate adult and iPSC-derived NK cells and assess viable cell yield and potency under various culture conditions.
This collaboration will potentially improve the quality and quantity of NK cells produced, reducing the time and resources needed to bring NK cell therapies to market.
The LEAP-NK™ platform has been designed to assist biotech firms in efficiently advancing their NK cell therapies from the laboratory to the clinic by using established processes, completed development work, and proven technology, reducing the time required by 50%. By integrating the panCELLa feeder line into its platform, BioCentriq hopes to improve the efficacy of NK cell activation, expansion, and manufacturability. Therapies utilising NK cells have shown a lot of promise in the treatment of cancer and other disorders. However, traditionally, the time from the discovery of a new therapeutic approach in the laboratory to its availability for patients in the clinic can take several years.
BioIntel360 suggests that recent developments in NK cell therapy have significantly shortened the time needed to introduce these therapies into the clinic. This is possible by leveraging proven technology, which has already been shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials. This allows researchers to build on existing knowledge and streamline the development process. As a result, NK cell therapies can now advance to the clinic in much lesser time. These advances offer hope for patients who are in desperate need of new and effective treatments for cancer and other diseases.
