Acceleration of Human T Cell Expansion In Vitro Using Low Intensity Vibrations to Improve Biomanufacturing Process

Background

The CAR T cell therapy process, from patient apheresis to manufacturing facility and back to the treatment center, currently takes anywhere between 2-4 weeks and necessitates a complex network of transportation, scheduling and skilled labor to be successfully executed. This cascade of events is highly subject to delays which can negatively impact patient outcomes. A substantial fraction is spent on the ex vivo cell expansion phase alone, using IL-2, a T cell growth factor and antigen cell present mimicking agents. To meet the time-sensitive demands of cancer treatment with a non-chemical approach, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Chan’s team propose to expedite the expansion phase for high-throughput CAR T cell manufacturing using mechanical stimulations.

Technology

Dr. Rubin and Dr. Chan’s team have demonstrated that mechanical signals delivered via low intensity vibration (LIV) have a proliferative effect on human Pan T cell cells. LIV can be delivered in sterile cell culture conditions through vertical oscillation of a custom feedback-controlled device. Optimization parameters include the amplitude, frequency, duration and refractory period of the sinusoidal LIV signals. Promoting proliferation of the T cells shortens the cell expansion phase of the biomanufacturing process and will shorten waiting (vein-to-vein) time in CAR T cell therapy.