This work is supported by the Victorian Government&#39;s Operational Infrastructure Support Program, and the Victorian Government Technology Voucher provided by the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources. RL is the recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship. AL is the recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award.

1. Preparation of reagents and cells for buffer exchange
<ol>
	<li>Prepare buffers (see Table of Materials) in a class 2 laminar flow hood. Using a syringe and needle assembly, remove 50 mL of saline solution from a 500 mL saline bag. Replace this with 50 mL of 20% human serum albumin (HSA) to make 2% HSA in saline, which will serve as the wash buffer.</li>
	<li>Remove the cells from the culture vessels and perform a cell count to determine the starting cell quantity and viability by trypan blue exclus...

<ol>
	<li>Lopes, A. G., Sinclair, A., Frohlich, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cost+Analysis+of+Cell+Therapy+Manufacture:+Autologous+Cell+Therapies,+Part+1.">Cost Analysis of Cell Therapy Manufacture: Autologous Cell Therapies, Part 1.</a> BioProcess International. 16 (3), (2018).</li><li>Hampson, B., Ceccarelli, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Factories+of+the+future:+Can+Patient-Specific+Cell+Therapies+Get+There+from+Here?.">Factories of the future: Can Patient-Specific Cell Therapies Get There from Here?.</a> BioProcess International. 14 (4), (2016).</li><li>Preti, R., Daus, A., Hampson, B., Sumen, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mapping+success+for+commercial+cell+therapy+manufacturing.">Mapping success for commercial cell therapy manufacturing.</a> BioProcess International. 13 (9), 33-38 (2015).</li><li>Heathman, T. R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+translation+of+cell-based+therapies:+clinical+landscape+and+manufacturing+challenges.">The translation of cell-based therapies: clinical landscape and manufacturing challenges.</a> Regenerative Medicine. 10 (1), 49-64 (2015).</li><li>Lipsitz, Y. Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+roadmap+for+cost-of-goods+planning+to+guide+economic+production+of+cell+therapy+products.">A roadmap for cost-of-goods planning to guide economic production of cell therapy products.</a> Cytotherapy. 19 (12), 1383-1391 (2017).</li><li>Lopes, A. G., Sinclair, A., Frohlich, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cost+Analysis+of+Cell+Therapy+Manufacture:+Autologous+Cell+Therapies,+Part+2.">Cost Analysis of Cell Therapy Manufacture: Autologous Cell Therapies, Part 2.</a> BioProcess International. 16 (4), 12-19 (2018).</li><li>Hanley, P. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Efficient+manufacturing+of+therapeutic+mesenchymal+stromal+cells+with+the+use+of+the+Quantum+Cell+Expansion+System.">Efficient manufacturing of therapeutic mesenchymal stromal cells with the use of the Quantum Cell Expansion System.</a> Cytotherapy. 16 (8), 1048-1058 (2014).</li><li>Leong, W., Nakervis, B., Beltzer, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automation:+what+will+the+cell+therapy+laboratory+of+the+future+look+like?.">Automation: what will the cell therapy laboratory of the future look like?.</a> Cell Gene Therapy Insights. 4 (9), 679-694 (2018).</li><li>Galipeau, J., Sensebe, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mesenchymal+Stromal+Cells:+Clinical+Challenges+and+Therapeutic+Opportunities.">Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Clinical Challenges and Therapeutic Opportunities.</a> Cell Stem Cell. 22 (6), 824-833 (2018).</li><li>Salmikangas, P., Kinsella, N., Chamberlain, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chimeric+Antigen+Receptor+T-Cells+(CAR+T-Cells)+for+Cancer+Immunotherapy+-+Moving+Target+for+Industry?.">Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cells (CAR T-Cells) for Cancer Immunotherapy - Moving Target for Industry?.</a> Pharmaceutical Research. 35 (8), 152 (2018).</li><li>James, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=How+short-term+gain+can+lead+to+long-term+pain.">How short-term gain can lead to long-term pain.</a> Cell Gene Therapy Insights. 3 (4), 271-284 (2017).</li><li>Rafiq, Q. A., Thomas, R. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+evolving+role+of+automation+in+process+development,+manufacture+of+cell,+gene-based+therapies.">The evolving role of automation in process development, manufacture of cell, gene-based therapies.</a> Cell Gene Therapy Insights. 2 (4), 473-479 (2016).</li><li>Rafiq, Q. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Emerging+Automated+Approaches+for+Cell+and+Gene+Therapy+Manufacture.">Emerging Automated Approaches for Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacture.</a> Cell Gene Therapy Insights. 4 (9), 911-914 (2018).</li><li>Contreras, T. J., Jemionek, J. F., French, J. E., Shields, L. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Human+Granulocyte+Isolation+by+Continuous+Flow+Centrifugation+Leukapheresis+and+Counterflow+Centrifugation+Elutriation+(CFCL/CCE).">Human Granulocyte Isolation by Continuous Flow Centrifugation Leukapheresis and Counterflow Centrifugation Elutriation (CFCL/CCE).</a> Transfusion. 19 (6), 695-703 (1979).</li><li>Berger, T. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Efficient+elutriation+of+monocytes+within+a+closed+system+(Elutra&#8482;)+for+clinical-scale+generation+of+dendritic+cells.">Efficient elutriation of monocytes within a closed system (Elutra&#8482;) for clinical-scale generation of dendritic cells.</a> Journal of Immunological Methods. 298 (1), 61-72 (2005).</li><li>Chen, Y., Hoecker, P., Zeng, J., Dettke, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Combination+of+Cobe+AutoPBSC+and+Gambro+Elutra+as+a+platform+for+monocyte+enrichment+in+dendritic+cell+(DC)+therapy:+Clinical+study.">Combination of Cobe AutoPBSC and Gambro Elutra as a platform for monocyte enrichment in dendritic cell (DC) therapy: Clinical study.</a> Journal of Clinical Apheresis. 23 (5), 157-162 (2008).</li><li>Whitford, W. G., Subramanian, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Continuous Processing in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing. , (2014).</li><li>. SMALL BATCH CELL SEPARATION, WASH &amp; CONCENTRATION Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.scinogy.com/projects">https://www.scinogy.com/projects</a> (2019)</li><li>Yu, D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Targeting+Jurkat+T+Lymphocyte+Leukemia+Cells+by+an+Engineered+Interferon-Alpha+Hybrid+Molecule.">Targeting Jurkat T Lymphocyte Leukemia Cells by an Engineered Interferon-Alpha Hybrid Molecule.</a> Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. 42 (2), 519-529 (2017).</li><li>Moharram, S. A., Shah, K., Kazi, J. U. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=T+cell+Acute+Lymphoblastic+Leukemia+Cells+Display+Activation+of+Different+Survival+Pathways.">T cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells Display Activation of Different Survival Pathways.</a> Journal of Cancer. 8 (19), 4124 (2017).</li><li>Ling, W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mesenchymal+stem+cells+use+IDO+to+regulate+immunity+in+tumor+microenvironment.">Mesenchymal stem cells use IDO to regulate immunity in tumor microenvironment.</a> Cancer Research. 74 (5), 1576-1587 (2014).</li><li>Tanzeglock, T., Soos, M., Stephanopoulos, G., Morbidelli, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Induction+of+mammalian+cell+death+by+simple+shear+and+extensional+flows.">Induction of mammalian cell death by simple shear and extensional flows.</a> Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 104 (2), 360-370 (2009).</li><li>Aguado, B. A., Mulyasasmita, W., Su, J., Lampe, K. J., Heilshorn, S. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Improving+viability+of+stem+cells+during+syringe+needle+flow+through+the+design+of+hydrogel+cell+carriers.">Improving viability of stem cells during syringe needle flow through the design of hydrogel cell carriers.</a> Tissue engineering. Part A. 18 (7-8), 806-815 (2012).</li><li>Zhu, F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hydroxyethyl+starch+as+a+substitute+for+dextran+40+for+thawing+peripheral+blood+progenitor+cell+products.">Hydroxyethyl starch as a substitute for dextran 40 for thawing peripheral blood progenitor cell products.</a> Cytotherapy. 17 (12), 1813-1819 (2015).</li><li>Schwandt, S., Korschgen, L., Peters, S., Kogler, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cord+blood+collection+and+processing+with+hydroxyethyl+starch+or+non-hydroxyethyl+starch.">Cord blood collection and processing with hydroxyethyl starch or non-hydroxyethyl starch.</a> Cytotherapy. 18 (5), 642-652 (2016).</li><li>Stroncek, D. F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Counter-flow+elutriation+of+clinical+peripheral+blood+mononuclear+cell+concentrates+for+the+production+of+dendritic+and+T+cell+therapies.">Counter-flow elutriation of clinical peripheral blood mononuclear cell concentrates for the production of dendritic and T cell therapies.</a> Journal of Translational Medicine. 12, 241 (2014).</li><li>Mfarrej, B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pre-clinical+assessment+of+the+Lovo+device+for+dimethyl+sulfoxide+removal+and+cell+concentration+in+thawed+hematopoietic+progenitor+cell+grafts.">Pre-clinical assessment of the Lovo device for dimethyl sulfoxide removal and cell concentration in thawed hematopoietic progenitor cell grafts.</a> Cytotherapy. 19 (12), 1501-1508 (2017).</li><li>Abonnenc, M., Pesse, B., Tissot, J. D., Barelli, S., Lion, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automatic+washing+of+thawed+haematopoietic+progenitor+cell+grafts:+a+preclinical+evaluation.">Automatic washing of thawed haematopoietic progenitor cell grafts: a preclinical evaluation.</a> Vox Sanguinis. 112 (4), 367-378 (2017).</li><li>Panes, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Expanded+allogeneic+adipose-derived+mesenchymal+stem+cells+(Cx601)+for+complex+perianal+fistulas+in+Crohn's+disease:+a+phase+3+randomised,+double-blind+controlled+trial.">Expanded allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Cx601) for complex perianal fistulas in Crohn's disease: a phase 3 randomised, double-blind controlled trial.</a> Lancet. 388 (10051), 1281-1290 (2016).</li><li>Lim, R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=First-In-Human+Administration+of+Allogeneic+Amnion+Cells+in+Premature+Infants+With+Bronchopulmonary+Dysplasia:+A+Safety+Study.">First-In-Human Administration of Allogeneic Amnion Cells in Premature Infants With Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: A Safety Study.</a> Stem Cells Translational Medicine. 7 (9), 628-635 (2018).</li></ol>

The automated buffer exchange protocol described is simple and user friendly. Nevertheless, there are a few key steps in this protocol that are critical and require particular attention. In our experience, when processing larger cells such as MSCs (average diameter 10&#8211;15 &#181;m) each run should include at least 1 x 107 cells to achieve optimal cell recovery (Figure 4B). Processing smaller cells, such as Jurkat cells (average ~10 &#181;m diameter), requires ...

The landscape of modern medicine has transformed rapidly through recent developments in gene and cell-based therapies (GCT). As one of the fastest growing fields in translational research, the GCT sector also faces unique and unprecedented challenges. In addition to robust clinical outcomes, efficient and cost-effective manufacturing processes are essential for the commercial success of GCT, which is particularly difficult to achieve in small-scale manufacturing1. The cost of time, labor, and quality assurances are magnified when each batch of cells only produces a few doses for one patient instead of hundreds or thousands. Unlike allogeneic cell therapies in which the manufacturing processes are more akin to the production of antibodies and recombinant proteins, autologous cell therapies are typically produced as small-scale operations1. As a relatively new phenomenon in biopharmaceutical manufacturing2, options for small-scale cell processing are currently quite limited.
Buffer exchange is essential to cell manufacturing. It is one of the downstream processes where cells are removed from culture media and concentrated for cryopreservation or infusion. Currently, small-scale cell manufacturing often applies processes similar to those in the academic research setting and relies on specialized clean rooms to maintain sterility3. Manual downstream processes often use benchtop centrifuges to pellet and resuspend cells for volume reduction and buffer exchange. These open processes are costly (i.e., labor and clean room maintenance) and have limited manufacturing capacity, which are not ideal for commercial production2,3.
Implementing automation has been proposed as a solution to improve manufacturing efficiency and achieving commercial scale productions2. Sterility cannot be achieved in cell-based products through traditional methods used for biologics, such as gamma irradiation or terminal end filtration. Instead, an automated closed system is deployed to reduce risks of contamination and operators relying on clean rooms to maintain sterility4. Process automation also addresses the issue of scalability by either having multiple systems running in parallel (scale-out) or increasing the processing capacity of an individual device (scale-up), which in turn minimizes the variability between operators. Furthermore, cost modelling analysis of autologous therapies suggests that automation may reduce the cost of manufacturing5,6. However, no cost benefit was found in an autologous stem cell clinical trial where an automated manufacturing platform was used7, suggesting that the cost benefit of automation may depend on the individual manufacturing process.
There are different strategies in which automation can be introduced into an existing manufacturing process. This can be achieved either by implementing a fully integrated platform or a modular-based processing chain. There are several fully integrated platforms commercially available for autologous cell manufacturing, such as CliniMACS Prodigy (Miltenyi Biotec), Cocoon (Octane Biotech), and Quantum (Terumo BCT). These integrated platforms, which are often described as &#34;GMP-in-a-box&#34;, have low demands on infrastructure and are easy to operate. However, the manufacturing capacity of a fully integrated setup may be restricted by the incubator attached to the system. For example, the culturing capacity of Prodigy is limited to its 400 mL chamber8 and the Quantum cartridge has a limiting surface area set to 2.1 m2 (equivalent to 120 T175 flasks)7, which may not be sufficient for patients requiring higher cell doses9,10. Additionally, Prodigy and Quantum have a common attribute that limits their use: the operational unit is occupied by a single batch of cells throughout the cell expansion period, thus limiting the number of batches that can be manufactured by each unit11. The modular approach to automation is to create a manufacturing chain with multiple modular units that simulates the commercial manufacturing process12,13. This approach, which separates the culture device from the cell washing device, can thereby maximize manufacturing efficiency. An ideal processing device would be one that is adaptable and scalable to manufacturing needs12.
Counterflow centrifugation (CFC) technology, which dates back to the 1970s, has had a long history in cell processing14. It achieves cell concentration and separation by balancing centrifugal force with a counterflow force. Typically, a cell suspension enters from the narrow end of a cell chamber under a constant flow rate while subjected to a centrifugal force (Figure 1A). The flow of the fluid is exerted in the opposite direction to the centrifugal force. This is referred to as the counterflow force, which forms a gradient within the cell chamber. The counterflow force then decreases as the cell chamber widens away from the tip of the cone-shaped cell chamber. Cells with higher density and larger diameter have a higher sedimentation rate, and thus they reach force equilibrium towards the tip of the cone-shaped cell chamber. Smaller particles may reach equilibrium towards the base of the chamber or be too small to be retained in the chamber and will be washed away. The CFC technology is mostly known for its application in processing blood apheresis products, such as isolating monocytes for dendritic cell therapies15,16. In terms of buffer exchange, the CFC technology has only been applied in large-scale manufacturing17 and has yet to be used for the smaller scale manufacturing of autologous cell therapies.
To address the need of a suitable device for small-scale cell manufacturing, an automated CFC device (See Table of Materials), was recently developed18. The automated cell processing device uses counterflow centrifugation technology to remove cell debris and facilitate buffer exchange. The device performs buffer exchange with a single-use kit that can be sterile-connected to a cell transfer bag, which allows the cells to be processed within a sterile, enclosed system. Here, we investigate the use of a counterflow centrifugal device to perform buffer exchange in mammalian cell cultures in automated protocols. In this study, we tested the buffer exchange protocol using Jurkat cells and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to model nonadherent and adherent cell types, respectively. Jurkat cells are immortalized T cells often used for the study of acute T cell leukemia19,20. MSCs are adult stem cells that have been studied in human clinical trials for a wide range of diseases9.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>20 ml Luer lock syringes</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>302830</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>20% Human serum albumin (HSA)</td>
			<td>CSL Behring</td>
			<td>AUST R 46283</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4-(Dimethylamino)benzaldehyde</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>156477-25g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>500ml IV saline bag</td>
			<td>Fresenius Kabi</td>
			<td>K690521</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antibiotic-Antimycotic</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>15240112</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Automated cell counter (Countess)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell counting chamber slides</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>C10228</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell stimulation cocktail (500x)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>00-4970-93</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell transfer bags</td>
			<td>Terumo</td>
			<td>T1BBT060CBB</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CellTiter AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay (MTS)</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>G3582</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>5810R</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM: F12 media</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>11320082</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EnVision plate Reader</td>
			<td>Perkin Elmer</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal bovine serum (FBS)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>10099141</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human Interleukin 2 (IL2) Kit</td>
			<td>Perkin Elmer</td>
			<td>Al221C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Luer (female) fittings</td>
			<td>CPC</td>
			<td>LF41</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PC laptop or PC tablet device</td>
			<td>ASUS</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plate reader (SpectraMax i3)</td>
			<td>Molecular Device</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Recombinant Human IFN-&#947;</td>
			<td>PeproTech</td>
			<td>300-02</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rotea counterflow centrifuge cell processing device</td>
			<td>Scinogy</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rotea single-use processing kit</td>
			<td>Scinogy</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RPMI media</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>11875119</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Surgical scissors</td>
			<td>ProSciTech</td>
			<td>420SS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trichloroacetic acide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T6399-250g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypan Blue stain</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>T10282</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin digestion enzyme (TrypLE Express Enzyme)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>12604013</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

automated counterflow centrifugal system for small-scale cell processing

Successful commercialization of gene and cell-based therapies requires manufacturing processes that are cost-effective and scalable. Buffer exchange and product concentration are essential components for most manufacturing processes. However, at the early stages of product development, these steps are often performed manually. Manual dead-end centrifugation for buffer exchange is labor-intensive, costly, and not scalable. A closed automated system can effectively eliminate this laborious step, but implementation can be challenging. Here, we describe a newly developed cell processing device that is suitable for small- to medium-scale cell processing and aims to bridge the gap between manual processing and large-scale automation. This protocol can be easily applied to various cell types and processes by modifying the flow rate and centrifugation speed. Our protocol demonstrated high cell recovery with shorter processing times in comparison to the manual process. Cells recovered from the automated process also maintained their proliferation rates. The device can be applied as a modular component in a closed manufacturing process to accommodate steps such as buffer exchange, cell formulation, and cryopreservation.

In this protocol, we used Jurkat cells and MSCs as representative examples to demonstrate the automated buffer exchange process. During the process, Jurkat cells and MSCs shared the same processing steps with differences in centrifugal force and pump speed that control the flow rate (Table 1). Figure 2 shows representative images captured by the camera of how the fluidized cell bed may appear during the buffer exchange process. Typically, the fluidized cell bed will resemble...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Automated Counterflow Centrifugal System for Small-Scale Cell Processing at JoVE.com

Automated Counterflow Centrifugal System for Small-Scale Cell Processing

Automation is key to upscaling and cost management in cell manufacturing. This manuscript describes the use of a counterflow centrifugal cell processing device for automating the buffer exchange and cell concentration steps for small-scale bioprocessing.

Successful commercialization of gene and cell-based therapies requires manufacturing processes that are cost-effective and scalable. Buffer exchange and ...

This protocol provides a solution for closed automated buffer exchange and concentration for small-scale cell manufacturing. Importantly, the buffer exchange is able to be performed with a high recovery and a delivery of a very small volume of concentrated product. New users may struggle to follow all the automation steps.Practicing programming these steps and performing test runs with medium are good ways to become familiar with the device. Before beginning the buffer exchange, in a class two laminar flow head, use a syringe and needle assembly to remove 50 milliliters of saline solution from a 500 milliliter saline bag. Replace this volume with 50 milliliters of 20%human serum albumin, and harvest the cells of interest from their culture vessels.After counting, use the syringe to load the cells into a transfer bag, and use the Luer lock to connect the transfer bag to a single-use processing kit. Then connect the previously prepared bag of wash buffer to the single-use processing kit. To set up an automated buffer exchange, open the graphic user interface of the device and click the start button.Click new to create a new protocol, and click control to select the valves to be opened and closed, the centrifugal and pump speeds, the pump direction, and the action triggers. When all of the parameters have been set, click save. Hang the connected appropriate bags on the device, and place the single-use processing kit on the machine.Then click the connect button and download the saved program. When the play button lights up, the protocol is ready to be started. To perform the automated buffer exchange, open the manual clamps for the transfer bag tubing, and click start to initiate the buffer exchange program.At the end of automation step six, the process will pause due to triggering of the bubble sensor by the air in the now empty bag. If the bag is indeed empty, press next to move the process to the next step. When the automated process is finished, close all the tubing clamps and open the door of the device.Then remove the single-use kit from the device and disconnect the syringe to allow the cells to be collected for subsequent analysis. Typically, the fluidized cell bed will appear as represented in this image with the cells accumulating in the middle and toward the front of the cone, a small space at the tip of the chamber in which the cells do not accumulate, and a visible opening within the cell loading inlet. The fluidized cell bed may be compressed when introducing a new buffer that is at a different viscosity or density.A high flow rate may be applied to select for live cells as dead cells are smaller and lighter and can be forced out of the chamber by increasing the flow rate. The automated process of buffer exchange processing time is shorter than that of the manual buffer exchange process. In this analysis, the recovery rates between the manual and the automated processes were similar for both types of cells tested, and the cell viability was not affected by either process.The recovered cells demonstrated similar proliferation rates, abilities to produce cytokines, and ideo-activities, regardless of the type of processing. It's important to remember that this protocol serves only as a guideline, and therefore users need to program the flow rate and centrifugation speed according to their cell type and buffer. Buffer exchange is an intermediate step in cell manufacturing that may follow cell culture expansion or cryopreservation and formulation.The goal is to develop ways to enclose the entire process. Counterflow centrifugation is a very versatile platform. Future studies will explore applications in cell selection, such as dead cell removal and mononucleus cell isolation from a chorisis product.

automated-counterflow-centrifugal-system-for-small-scale-cell

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

9.1K vistas.  Hudson Institute of Medical Research. Este protocolo proporciona una solución para el intercambio automatizado cerrado de búferes y la concentración para la fabricación de células a pequeña escala. Es importante destacar que el intercambio de búferes es capaz de realizarse con una alta recuperación y una entrega de un volumen muy pequeño de producto concentrado. Los nuevos usuarios pueden tener dificultades para seguir todos los pasos de automatización.Practicar la programación de estos pasos y realizar ejecucio...