Enabling allogeneic cell therapy development: scaling up generation of PSC-derived NK cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a renewable cell source that could be used to generate cell therapies for many diseases. Protocols to generate diverse cell types from PSCs, such as iPSC-derived natural killer (iNK) cells , have been demonstrated, however scaling up these workflows remains a significant challenge. NK cells are innate, cytotoxic lymphoid immune cells that can kill cancer cells and are of considerable interest for allogeneic cell therapy development. Clinical trials using primary NK cells indicate that 10e6-10e8 NK cells per dose may be required for effective treatments, underscoring the need for vast quantities of cells.

In this webinar we will discuss challenges and advancements in PSC scale-up workflows, and present a case study for iNK method development, optimization, and application in immuno-oncology assays.

• Understand challenges of scaling pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives
• Understand the application of suspension culture methods to enable PSC scale-up workflows
• Discuss method development and optimization to generate PSC-derived natural killer cells
• Explore the utility of PSC-derived natural killer cells in immuno-oncology assays

Mark Kennedy

Staff Scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific

Mark Kennedy joined Thermo Fisher Scientific as an R&D scientist in 2016 focused on 2D and 3D cell culture model development, including pluripotent stem cells. He received his Ph.D. from Memorial University in Canada and subsequently trained at the National Cancer Institute, NIH. Dr. Kennedy has a long-standing interest in understanding gene regulatory networks controlled by growth factor signaling in models of mammalian development and stem cell biology. Currently, Dr. Kennedy leads an R&D team dedicated to the development of new tools and reagents to support the advancement of pluripotent stem cells and their applications.

Marcus Bunn

Research and Development Scientist III at Thermo Fisher Scientific

Marcus Bunn is a Research and Development Scientist III at Thermo Fisher Scientific, where he leads pioneering efforts in developing products and protocols for differentiating pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) into clinically relevant immune cells at a clinical scale.