Blog | HemaCare

Cell therapy research publication RegMedNet has just posted HemaCare’s latest article on how to use apheresis and cell collection techniques to optimize starting material quality. ^[1]

An Expansive Donor Network Helps Guarantee Consistent Quality

Apheresis donor material is intrinsically variable, yet a successful cell therapy product must have consistent efficacy across a wide range of patients. How do we reconcile these realities? As a large-scale apheresis supplier, HemaCare understands that quality raw materials are a matter of careful planning and expertise. Inter-donor variability can impact critical parameters including cell collection volume, cell subtype composition and cell proliferation potential. ^[2] Each of these parameters impact apheresis unit potency, and can impact resource use and manufacturing efficiency.

Last week, HemaCare published an article in Technology Networks discussing how optimal apheresis and collection methods give cell therapies a leading edge¹ 

Cell therapy is a unique field because the “products” are derived from living human cells and where each donor is different, variability is inevitable. Quality precursor material gives cell therapy products their best start. Variable or low-quality starting material introduces a need for complex separation strategies or repeated manufacturing runs, leading to higher costs and resource requirements.¹ To ensure the process utilizes the right resources, scientists must adopt optimal apheresis instrumentation and collection methods as one of the most important steps. 

Many people have donated blood in their lifetime. This blood is not only used for transfusions, but to provide blood components to treat a number of diseases and to conduct research geared to develop new diagnostic and treatment strategies. To obtain specific blood components, the technique of apheresis is used. This procedure is the means to separate blood into its various components so that the desired one is removed. Then, the rest of the components are placed back into the donor’s circulation.

Leukapheresis is a procedure to separate white bloods cells (including dendritic and progenitor cells) from a blood sample. Products obtained from leukapharesis procedures, leukopaks, are regularly used in the research setting. They are also used for cell therapy process development and clinically for certain treatment procedures for blood disorders. Another way to obtain white blood cells and platelets is to obtain them from the buffy coat.

Apheresis units of stem cells used for transplantation in cancer patients do not all have the same potency. Does your collection center measure up?