Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy has changed the face of cancer treatment and led to transformative clinical results in some patients. CAR-NK therapies are also gaining traction due to their potential to address some of the ongoing challenges with CAR T cells, such as safety and efficacy.
With numerous clinical trials underway and multiple CAR T cell products now approved, solving the current obstacles when manufacturing CAR-T/NK cell products continues to be a pressing issue for the cellular immunotherapy field. In particular, the ability to evaluate the expression of a CAR following T cell or NK cell transduction is a critical step in the development and production of these cell therapy products.
In this webinar, an expert panel will discuss current challenges, along with the latest progress and innovation, facing CAR T and CAR NK development. In addition, a method for direct staining and detection of specific CARs by flow cytometry will be presented
- Key challenges when developing and manufacturing CAR T/NK cell products
- The importance of the CAR expression evaluation step for CAR T/NK cell R&D and manufacture
- Current methods used for CAR detection and evaluation, along with their advantages and drawbacks
- Fluorescent-labeled proteins that enable direct staining and detection of specific CAR by flow cytometry, providing advantages over antibodies in speed, specificity, and low background staining
Hemant Dhamne
Head of Process Development, King's College London
Dr. Hemant Dhamne is an expert in the field of cell and gene therapy with specific experience in building and operating Product, Process, Analytical Development, and Manufacturing functions.
He has done a Ph.D. in Viral Vectors/Gene Therapy followed by a Postdoc in Functional Genomics. Later he has worked with Intas Pharmaceuticals for AAV Gene Therapy and most recently with Immuneel Therapeutics for CAR-T cell therapy. He also holds a diploma in International Business and Medical Diagnostics. At present, he is heading the Process Development function at Gene Therapy Vector Facility, King's College London.
He has previously led the team delivering pre-IND & IND applications for AAV-8 FIX, AAV8-FVIII, and CD19-CAR T products. He built the capability and infrastructure for cell and gene therapy in India and was the key person to bring the CGT wave to his country.
Tim Manning, PhD
Director of Product Management, Proteins, Bio-techne
Tim Manning is the Director of Product Management for the Protein Business Unit at Bio-Techne with almost 20 years’ experience in the Biotech industry. For the last seven years he has focused on GMP cytokines and growth factors designed for use in clinical manufacturing. Tim received his PhD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of California San Diego.
Simone Steiner, PhD
Head of Technology Development & Manufacturing, Tigen Pharma SA
Simone Steiner leads the technology development and manufacturing teams at Tigen Pharma. Prior to Tigen, she successfully built and headed the Novartis Production Unit / Cell Therapy Facility in Stein, Switzerland, where the pioneering leukemia cell therapy Kymriah was initiated. She also held Cell & Gene leadership roles as a supplier relationship manager and a product steward. She started her career at QSV Biologics as a CDMO downstream processing scientist. Simone holds a diploma in chemistry and a PhD from the ETH Zurich Richmond Group. She is a post-doctoral fellow at the Michalak Group at the University of Alberta, Canada.
