Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) Is Well Suited For Quantifying Transgene Copy Number

With a majority of cell immunotherapies in development today use CAR T cells, the number of therapeutic options will only increase. One forecast predicts that the CAR T-cell market will grow to $6.1 billion by 2030. But despite the promise of CAR T cells, developers must work out the kinks in their manufacture.

CAR T-cell development has not been standardized. Manufacturers have many cell sources and bioprocesses to choose from and, as a result, the behavior of CAR T cells can vary widely from batch to batch. Consequently, to succeed in clinical trials and reach the market, CAR T-cell developers must implement rigorous quality control measures to monitor their cells during manufacturing.

In this paper, we discuss why CAR T-cell therapy is so exciting, note some common hurdles in development and manufacturing, and propose Droplet Digital PCR as a solution for some of these issues.