Faster, bigger, cheaper
The use of stem cells holds great promise for the treatment of many diseases and injuries, including osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus and cancer, due to their ability to replace damaged cells. However, modern technologies used to collect stem cells are time-consuming and time-consuming. The lack of modularity, high cost and frequent errors limit their use.
Australian researchers have developed a unique 3D-printer reproducible system for collecting stem cells from bioreactors, carrying the potential for high-quality, large-scale production of stem cells at a lower price. Bioengineer Professor Majid Varkiani from the University of Technology Sydney led the study in collaboration with industrial partner Regeneus, an Australian biotechnology company developing stem cell treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases.
The new technology uses three-dimensional printing and microfluidics to integrate a number of production steps in one device. The system is currently at the prototype stage.
The scheme of the microfluidic system.
Microfluidics is based on precise fluid control at the microscopic level to manipulate cells and molecules. Advances in 3D printing have allowed rapid prototyping.
The new system was developed to accumulate mesenchymal stem cells – adult stem cells that can divide and differentiate into a variety of tissues, including bones, cartilage, muscles, adipose and connective tissue.
Mesenchymal stem cells are collected from bone marrow, adipose tissue or human blood. They are then transferred to a bioreactor in the laboratory and combined with micro-carriers to allow the cells to multiply.
The system combines two micromixers, one spiral microfluidic separator and one microfluidic concentrator, for the selection and separation of mesenchymal stem cells from microcarriers and their accumulation with subsequent processing in a short time, preserving the viability and functionality of cells.
The system can be scaled to produce large volumes of products. It is important to note that it is closed and works without human intervention. According to the authors, using the same technology and workflow, the problems of creating different cells on an industrial scale can also be solved, which will reduce costs and improve the quality of a number of vital medical products, including stem cells and CAR-T cells.
Article L.Ding et al. A modular 3D printed microfluidic system: a potential solution for continuous cell harvesting in large scale bioprocessing is published in the journal Bioresources and Bioprocessing.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the University of Technology Sydney: New solution for stem cell manufacturing.