Blog | HemaCare

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. 

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of adult stem cell that can be isolated from the bone marrow, peripheral blood, fallopian tube, and abdominal adipose tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells have been shown to generate multiple cell types, such as bone, cartilage, muscle, cardiomyoctes, endothelial cells and neurons. Because of its high capacity for self renewal and multipotency, MSCs provide enormous therapeutic potential for cell therapy. To use stem cells in the clinic for disease treatment, the manufacturing process has to be standardized to ensure that the final products are safe and efficient.