Nano4Health: Focus on Technologies for Therapeutic purposes
December 3, 14:00-15:30

Abstract title

Upscaling: optimize your cell therapy process for production in a bioreactor
Michiel Jannink PhD, CEO Scinus Cell Expansion BV

Abstract

Worldwide, cell therapy (CT) is an area of intense research, with over 600 ongoing trials and 21 approved CTs and cell-based products already on the market in the EU and US. Although the therapeutic potential of CTs is widely acknowledged, the successful translation of CTs from the lab to the hospital ward is limited. Cell therapies are ready to move towards clinical practice, but the production of cells on a commercial scale still poses a major economic and industrial challenge. Typically, cell therapies originate in the research labs of academic institutions, where cells are cultured in small flasks inside controlled incubators. However, this culture approach is very labour intensive, and the many open process steps require strict (expensive) cleanroom procedures once the translation to actual clinical production has to be made.

Scinus Cell Expansion has developed a bioreactor system that enables clinical scale cell cultivation in a controlled environment, which is a cost effective alternative to 2D cell growth in tissue culture flasks or cell stacks. The system contains a single use bioreactor bag that can be used to cultivate stem cells (e.g. human mesenchymal stromal cells, iPSC’s) to clinically relevant numbers of cells. Cells are grown in a single use, expandable bioreactor bag with continuous pH and dissolved oxygen control and biomass monitoring, which provides an optimized environment for growing cells.

Biography

Michiel Jannink PhD, CEO. Michiel has extensive experience in the field of life sciences and health. Michiel obtained his PhD at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, department of rehabilitation. Since then Michiel has worked at the R&D department of a large rehabilitation Center in the Netherlands focussing on Restoration of Functions in patients with neurological diseases like stroke and spinal cord injury. In addition to this Michiel had also an application as an assistant Professor at the University of Twente – Laboratory of Biomechanical Engineering. After 10 years of Scientific research Michiel made a transition to DEMCON to build up the Medical Technology Business unit focussing on the development and manufacturing of high end Medical Technology. In 2018 DEMCON has taken an interest in Scinus Cell Expansion BV and Michiel joined the company as CEO.