CARTool – A process engineering approach for manufacturing CAR T cells in biOreactOrs with improved cLinical revelance

Financiado por/Funded by:

Designação do Projeto | Project Name | CARTool –  A process engineering approach for manufacturing CAR T cells in biOreactOrs with improved cLinical revelance

Código do Projeto | Project Code | 2022.07312.PTDC

Domínio Científico | Scientific Domain | Exact Sciences and Engineering

Entidade Coordenadora | Coordinating Entity | iBET – Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica

Data de início | Starting Date | 01.03.2023

Data de conclusão | Conclusion Date | 31.12.2024

Breve Descrição | Brief Description

Adoptive cell therapies using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have shown great promise in treating cancer and autoimmune diseases. However, the production of large numbers of high-quality cells is limited by the lack of scalability of the production platforms, limited control over cell culture parameters and high manufacturing costs.

To reach clinically effective numbers of CAR T cells for immunotherapies, it is essential to implement cell activation and expansion strategies that could be integrated in scalable and controllable cell manufacturing workflows. Particularly, cell culture in stirred tank bioreactors, due to their suitability to intensify bioprocesses, and coupled with the development of robust T cell activation strategies, could be critical to achieve optimal CAR T cell expansion, avoiding their exhaustion, while reducing the prohibitively high manufacturing costs.

To address this, the CARTool project proposes to develop an integrated manufacturing process in stirred tank bioreactors by providing enhanced control over the T cell activation and expansion steps. Additionally, the research team aims to contribute to a better understanding of how pre-conditioning strategies could improve the survival and potency of CAR T cell subpopulations in the harsh microenvironment characteristic of solid tumours.

Overall, the project will contribute to implement novel bioengineering approaches towards an enhanced control over the production of specific subsets of more persistent CAR T cells and contribute to streamline the manufacture of CAR T cell products ensuring they could be delivered to a wider group of patients.