Using serum-free media to streamline and optimize CAR T-cell manufacturing workflows

Abstract

<!--StartFragment-->CAR T-cell therapies have led to breakthroughs in treating hematological malignancies, but the complexity and cost involved in their production limits their availability to patients. One challenge in CAR T-cell manufacturing outside of efficacy of your CAR-T product is achieving consistent expansion of T cells available after gene transfer. Optimizing the media used to support T-cell proliferation is, therefore, a key consideration—but it has proven difficult to develop media that enable consistent expansion while meeting regulatory quality requirements. However, recent advances in cell culture strategies have improved productivity and performance in CAR T-cell workflows using serum-free media, enabling the development of large-scale regulatory-compliant processes capable of producing billions of T cells within a short timeframe. This article will discuss how serum-free media can streamline CAR T-cell manufacturing workflows, highlighting how this can reduce time-to-market and make these treatments more widely available to patients.<!--EndFragment-->