Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Manufacturing on an Automated Cell Processor

Summary

This article details the manufacturing process for chimeric antigen receptor T cells for clinical use, specifically using an automated cell processor capable of performing viral transduction and cultivation of T cells. We provide recommendations and describe pitfalls that should be considered during the process development and implementation of an early-phase clinical trial.

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells represent a promising immunotherapeutic approach for the treatment of various malignant and non-malignant diseases. CAR-T cells are genetically modified T cells that express a chimeric protein that recognizes and binds to a cell surface target, resulting in the killing of the target cell. Traditional CAR-T cell manufacturing methods are labor-intensive, expensive, and may carry the risk of contamination. The CliniMACS Prodigy, an automated cell processor, allows for manufacturing cell therapy products at a clinical scale in a closed system, minimizing the risk of contamination. Processing occurs semi-automatically under the control of a computer and thus minimizes human involvement in the process, which saves time and reduces variability and errors.

This manuscript and video describes the T cell transduction (TCT) process for manufacturing CAR-T cells using this processor. The TCT process involves CD4+/CD8+ T cell enrichment, activation, transduction with a viral vector, expansion, and harvest. Using the Activity Matrix, a functionality that allows ordering and timing of these steps, the TCT process can be customized extensively. We provide a walk-through of CAR-T cell manufacturing in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and discuss required release testing and preclinical experiments that will support an Investigational New Drug (IND) application. We demonstrate the feasibility and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a semi-automatic process for clinical CAR-T cell manufacturing. Finally, we describe an ongoing investigator-initiated clinical trial that targets pediatric B-cell malignancies [NCT05480449] as an example of how this manufacturing process can be applied in a clinical setting.

Introduction

Adoptive transfer of T cells engineered to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) has shown remarkable efficacy in treating patients with refractory B-cell malignancies^1,2,3,4,5. However, the traditional manufacturing methods for CAR-T cells are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and require highly trained technicians to carry out highly specialized steps. For example, the traditional manufacturing process of an autologous CAR-T cell product involves density gradient centrifugation, elutriation or mag....

Protocol

All research was performed in compliance with institutional guidelines with approval by the hospital's Institutional Review Board (IRB), and all subjects have provided informed consent for publication of the data collected within the context of the trial.
NOTE: The first section of the Protocol provides a high-level overview of the CAR-T manufacturing process. The remaining sections provide the step-by-step instructions. The protocol describes the workflow using TCT software version 1.4, which is the .......

Discussion

CAR-T cell therapy has emerged as a promising treatment approach for B-cell and other malignancies. However, traditional CAR-T cell manufacturing methods have several limitations, such as high cost, labor-intensive production, and open steps that increase the risk of contamination. Recently, several semi-automated platforms, including the Miltenyi CliniMACS Prodigy (the "processor"), have emerged to address these limitations. The T cell transduction (TCT) process, integrated into the processor described in this m.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
12 x 75 borosilicate tubes	Charles River	TL1000
20 mL Reagent Bag	Miltenyi Biotec	170-076-631
50 mL Conical Tube	Fisher	05-539-10
150 mL Transfer Set	Fenwal	4R2001
2,000 mL Transfer Set	Fenwal	4R2041
7AAD	Fisher Scientific	BDB559925
Alcohol Prep	Tyco/Healthcare
Bag Access	Medline	2300E-0500
CD19 APC-Vio770 REAfinity	Miltenyi Biotec	130-113-643
CD19 CAR Detection Reagent Biotin	Miltenyi Biotec	130-129-550
CD19 PE	BD	555413
CD3 APC	BD	340440
CD4 VioBright FITC REAfinity	Miltenyi Biotec	130-113-229
CD45 VioBlue REAfinity	Miltenyi Biotec	130-110-637
CD8 APC-Vio770 REAfinity	Miltenyi Biotec	130-110-681
Cellometer Reference Beads 10um	Nexcelom	B10-02-020
Cellometer Reference Beads 15um	Nexcelom	B15-02-010
Cellometer Reference Beads 5um	Nexcelom	B05-02-050
Cellometer Slides	Nexcelom	CHT4-SD100-002
CliniMACS CD4 GMP MicroBeads	Miltenyi Biotec	276-01	The CD4 reagent
CliniMACS CD8 GMP MicroBeads	Miltenyi Biotec	275-01	The CD8 reagent
CliniMACS PBS/EDTA Buffer	Miltenyi Biotec	130-021-201	The buffer
DMSO	Origen	CP-10
Freezing Bag 50 mL	Miltenyi Biotec	200-074-400
Freezing Vial, 1.8 mL	Nunc	12565171N
Freezing Vial, 4.5 mL	Nunc	12565161N
Human AB serum	Valley Biomedical		Sterile filtered, heat inactivated
Human Serum Albumin 25%	Grifols	68516-5216-1
Human Serum Albumin 5%	Grifols	68516-5214-1
MACS GMP Recombinant Human IL-2	Miltenyi Biotec	170-076-148	The cytokines
MACS GMP T Cell TransAct	Miltenyi Biotec	200-076-202	The activation reagent
MycoSeq Mycoplasma Detection Kit	Life Technologies	4460623
Needles, Hypodermic 14G	Medline	SWD200573
Needles, SlideSafe 18G	BD	B-D305918
Pipet tips, 2-200 μL, individually wrapped	Eppendorf	022492209
Pipet tips, 50-1000 μL, individually wrapped	Eppendorf	022492225
Pipets 10 mL	Fisher	13-678-27F
Pipets 25 mL	Fisher	13-675-30
Pipets 5 mL	Fisher	13-678-27E
Plasmalyte-A	Baxter	2B2544X	The electrolyte solution
Prodigy TS520 Tubing Set	Miltenyi Biotec	170-076- 600	The tubing set
Sterile Field	Medline	NON21001
Streptavidin PE-Vio770	Miltenyi Biotec	130-106-793
Syringe 1 mL	BD	309628
Syringe 10 mL	BD	302995
Syringe 3 mL	BD	309657
Syringe 30 mL	BD	302832
Syringe 50 mL	BD	309653
TexMACS GMP Medium	Miltenyi Biotec	170-076-306	The medium
Triple Sampling Adapter	Miltenyi Biotec	170-076-609
Viral Vector	CHOP Clinical Vector Core		huCART19
Equipment
Biological Safety Cabinet	The Baker Co
Cellometer Auto 2000	Nexcelom
CliniMACS Prodigy	Miltenyi Biotec	200-075-301	The processor
Controlled Rate Freezer	Planer/Kryosave
Endosafe nexgen-PTS150K	Charles River
Mettler Balance	Mettler
Refrigerated Centrifuge	Thermo Fisher
Refrigerated Centrifuge	Fisher Sci
SCD Sterile Tubing Welder	Terumo
Sebra Tube Sealer	Sebra
Varitherm	Barkey		The dry thaw device
XN-330 Hematology Analyzer	Sysmex