title: Ex vivo expansion of human T cells for adoptive immunotherapy using the novel Xeno-free CTS Immune Cell Serum Replacement.
abstract: The manufacture of clinical grade cellular products for adoptive immunotherapy requires ex vivo culture and expansion of human T cells. One of the key components in manufacturing of T cell therapies is human serum (HS) or fetal bovine serum (FBS), which can potentially expose immunotherapy recipient to adventitious infectious pathogens and are thus considered as non-cGMP compliant for adoptive therapy. Here we describe a novel xeno-free serum replacement (SR) with defined components that can be reproducibly used for the production of clinical grade T-cell therapies in combination with several different cell culture media. Dynabeads CD3/CD28 Cell Therapy System (CTS)-activated or antigen-specific T cells expanded using the xeno-free SR, CTS Immune Cell SR, showed comparable growth kinetics observed with cell culture media supplemented with HS or FBS. Importantly the xeno-free SR supplemented medium supported the optimal expansion of T cells specific for subdominant tumour-associated antigens and promoted expansion of T cells with central memory T-cell phenotype, which is favourable for in vivo survival and persistence following adoptive transfer. Furthermore, T cells expanded using xeno-free SR medium were highly amenable to lentivirus-mediated gene transduction for potential application for gene-modified T cells. Taken together, the CTS Immune Cell SR provides a novel platform strategy for the manufacture of clinical grade adoptive cellular therapies.
authors: QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development and Tumour Immunology Laboratory, Department of Immunology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors: Corey
authors: C
authors: Smith
authors: Thermo Fisher Scientific , Oslo, Norway.
authors: Grethe
authors: G
authors: Økern
authors: QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development and Tumour Immunology Laboratory, Department of Immunology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors: Sweera
authors: S
authors: Rehan
authors: QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development and Tumour Immunology Laboratory, Department of Immunology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors: Leone
authors: L
authors: Beagley
authors: QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development and Tumour Immunology Laboratory, Department of Immunology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors: Sau K
authors: SK
authors: Lee
authors: Thermo Fisher Scientific , Oslo, Norway.
authors: Tanja
authors: T
authors: Aarvak
authors: Thermo Fisher Scientific , Oslo, Norway.
authors: Karoline W
authors: KW
authors: Schjetne
authors: QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development and Tumour Immunology Laboratory, Department of Immunology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors: Rajiv
authors: R
authors: Khanna