The
last two decades have brought on a tremendous amount of innovation in living
cell-based products. That innovation has come with a new set of challenges in the field as well.
Jeff Karp, Associate Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Harvard Medical School, will be speaking at this year’s Cell Therapy Bioprocessing conference. We were able to pick his brain on what he
feels some of these challenges in the field are today:
What are some of the greatest challenges in cell therapy today?
Jeff: I think
that we’re getting to a point in time where we can obtain almost any cell type
in unlimited quantities with a few exceptions. This is using reprogramming,
programming, different differentiation, protocol that have recently been worked
out. So, I really think we are getting to that point where we can obtain nearly
any cell type that can then be delivered to patients for treatment.
While I think we’re there, I think one of the greatest
challenges that remains is that once we transplant cells, we lose control over
the cells. So, when we’re working with cells in a Petri dish, for example, we
can pattern the media, we can put cells on all different types of textured substrates,
we can control the media and the environment exquisitely. But, when we
transplant cells, they are entirely at the mercy of the biological. So, if they
end up in different tissues in the body, they are going to behave completely
differently. So, we lose control of those cells following transplantation.
So, I
think one of the greatest challenges is how can we now take the cells that we
worked so hard to derive in vitro and then transplant those cells into patients
and exhibit control so that the cells get to the right location and can perform
their function when they get there?
Download our brochure to check out
the rest of Jeff’s interview.
Get the latest from Jeff and other industry experts at this
year’s Cell Therapy Bioprocessing conference,
September 15-16, Arlington, VA. Now, SAVE 20% off the standard
rate. Register here and use code XB14188BLOG.
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