As cell and gene therapies continue to revolutionize clinical practice, the quest for effective cell encapsulation and precise delivery methods becomes paramount. Recent strides, including the FDA’s approval of Lantrida™—a groundbreaking cell therapy for type 1 diabetes—and ongoing developments in solid tumor treatments, underscore the critical need for controlled delivery vehicles in cellular therapies.
Biocompatible polymers, such as alginates, are increasingly explored as a versatile platform to enhance therapeutic efficacy through controlled delivery.
In this panel discussion, we delve into the potential of cell encapsulation—a technique that holds promise for improving the survival, functionality, and effectiveness of transfected and transplanted cells. Our focus extends to the key characteristics of ultrapure biopolymers, which play a crucial role in ensuring cell viability, biocompatibility, and controlled delivery. Moreover, we address the critical aspects of scalability and reproducibility in polymer-based encapsulation systems, essential for translating research breakthroughs into practical clinical applications. Join our expert panel as we unlock the potential of polymer-based encapsulation, propelling cellular therapies into a new era of precision and efficacy.
- Explore considerations for animal-free polymers that support cell growth and delivery.
- Understand the characteristics of polymers that seamlessly transition from research to clinical application
- Gain insights into overcoming cell therapy delivery challenges and potential solutions
- Discover why alginates serve as suitable polymers for cell cultures, transfection, encapsulation, and implantation
Yevgeny Brudno
Associate Professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | North Carolina State University
Dr Yevgeny Brudno is Associate Professor in the Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics at the School of Pharmacy and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jointly at UNC and NC State. He earned dual BA degrees in Chemistry and Biophysics, with minors in Math and Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. He obtained his PhD in Organic Chemistry from Harvard University, developing directed evolution technologies with Prof David R. Liu. Following the completion of his PhD, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, alongside with Prof David Mooney, developing controlled release drug delivery technologies for cancer and regenerative medicine. He joined UNC and NC State in 2017, with research interests that span organic synthetic chemistry, materials science, and immunotherapy. Dr Brudno's research is rooted in the belief that advances in chemistry and the basic molecular sciences can generate meaningful change in how therapies are designed, produced, and administered.
Omid Veiseh
Director at Rice Biotech Launch Pad
Dr Omid Veiseh, PhD, is an Associate Professor and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research in the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University. He leads an interdisciplinary translational research program to engineer and commercialize next-generation cell-based therapeutics for various human diseases. His team leverages the latest techniques in synthetic biology, immunoengineering, and materials science to develop innovative cell-based platforms for real-time and feedback-regulated production of biologics. Over the course of his career, he has authored or co-authored more than 75 peer-reviewed publications, including those in Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Materials, Nature Medicine, and Nature Biomedical Engineering, and is an inventor on more than 40 pending or awarded patents. He is also a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded Sigilon Therapeutics (Nasdaq: SGTX), Avenge Bio, Sentinel Bio, and Curada Bio. These companies collectively have attracted ~ $500M in private and public investment capital. In September of 2023, he was named the Director of Rice University's Biotech Launch Pad, a new initiative with a mission to accelerate the translation of Rice University discoveries and technologies into clinical practice to provide rapid patient access to leading-edge therapeutic products.
Marizela Delic-Schlumbohm
Senior R&D Manager, NovaMatrix® at IFF Pharma
Tom Kamperman
CTO & Founder at IamFluidics BV
Tom Kamperman is an entrepreneurial biomedical engineer with a strong background in microfluidics, tissue engineering, and enabling (micro)technologies. He has over ten years of experience with the development of microfluidic systems for life science applications and in particular microencapsulation.Before starting IamFluidics, he worked at various internationally recognized institutes including the Max-Planck Institute in Muenster (DE), the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology (NL), the Technical Medical Centre (NL), and the Division of Engineering in Medicine at Harvard Medical School (USA). He is the recipient of the prestigious personal NWO Rubicon and Veni grants. In 2019, he was elected “European Innovator Under 35” by MIT Technology Review.Tom is the co-inventor of the IN-AIR MICROFLUIDICS™ technology, co-founder of IamFluidics, and responsible for the technical management as IamFluidics’ CTO. In this role, he has conceived, executed, and managed various innovative projects, including multiple large European consortia.
Joshua Katz
Senior R&D Manager at IFF Pharma
