Driving CAR-T Cell Research and Manufacturing with Next-Generation Chemically Defined T Cell Media and Single Use Bioreactors

Raw materials including cell culture media, cytokines, growth factors and cultivation systems can have a significant impact on the CAR T cell manufacturing process and the final cell product. Media supplements traditionally been used to culture primary cells like serum have several disadvantages, as these may contain adventitious agents and contribute to lot-to lot variability. In the recent years, CAR T cells have transitioned from academic research to industrial application, resulting in seven FDA-approved products. Consequently, there is a shift towards GMP-compliant raw materials and the adoption of closed and automated systems to ensure safety, reproducibility and availability for an increasing number of patients in need.

In addition, different applications such as autologous therapies, based on patient-derived T cells and allogenic therapies, based on T cells from healthy donors, require different cell yields and therefore highly flexible manufacturing processes. The aim of this work was to test the compatibility of complete, chemically defined T cell media free of animalderived components with static and stirred cultivation systems