Scalable Hematopoietic Stem Cell Expansion In Stirred-Tank Bioreactors For Advancing Cell Immunotherapies

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are essential for developing scalable, off-the-shelf immune cell therapies, with cord blood offering superior stemness and proliferative capacity compared to other sources. Traditional 2D culture systems fall short in efficiency and scalability, prompting the need for advanced bioprocessing solutions. This study introduces a stirred-tank bioreactor platform optimized for cord blood-derived CD34⁺ cell expansion and NK cell differentiation. Key findings include a 3× increase in CD34⁺ purity and viable cell density through early seeding strategies, and cost-effective cytokine optimization achieving up to 80% of maximum yield at less than half the cost. Differentiated NK cells demonstrated strong cytotoxicity against multiple cancer cell lines and robust cytokine secretion profiles. The platform establishes a donor-independent, clinically scalable workflow for manufacturing immune cell therapies targeting oncology and immune disorders.

Explore the full methodology and results to see how this approach advances cell therapy manufacturing.