Using A Fixed Bed Reactor System For Expansion Of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

ViaCyte has been exploring alternative treatment options for those suffering from Type 1 diabetes, including the ability to reduce or even eliminate insulin injections altogether through the use of stem-cell-derived islet replacement therapy. As detailed on the company’s website, ViaCyte scientists were the first to describe directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into insulin-expressing pancreatic cells and the first to demonstrate the ability of these cells to faithfully secrete insulin in response to increased blood glucose in pre-clinical models. ViaCyte has shown that these cells differentiate in vivo, in both preclinical and clinical studies, to all the constituent cell types of the human pancreatic islet.
 
Hannah Rasby, senior process development engineer at ViaCyte, explains that treatment using cell therapy has shown incredible promise, but a challenge of islet cell replacement therapy is producing enough for the patient population in need of this revolutionary product. Traditional approaches of an adherent cell culture system and a 3D suspension-based system present both benefits and limitations. Additionally, depending on the cell line and process, moving from adherent to 3D can present significant challenges and may extend development and introduce risks as engineers must adapt the process to a new form of cell culture. Seeking a solution that could potentially address the limitations of these systems, ViaCyte scientists evaluated several technologies using a checklist of critical factors that would ultimately pave the way toward testing the Corning  Ascent  FBR system.
 
Download the full article to learn more about ViaCyte’s criteria for evaluation as well as their experience with the Ascent FBR system.