Nina Bauer – VJRegenMed

Overview of the ekko™ acoustic cell processing system

Simon Ng — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 11:16:29 +0000

Nina Bauer, PhD, MBA, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, gives an overview of the process and advantages of the ekko acoustic cell processing system, a platform technology for cell and gene therapy manufacturing. In contrast to traditional mechanical or filtration methods that rely on filters with fixed pore sizes and centrifugal forces, the ekko system is based on acoustic waves which allow to gently concentrate and wash cells. The ekko system is a flexible tool that can process very small volumes as well as large aggregates which can be used in multiple cell applications. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.

Adapting cell therapies to solid tumors

Simon Ng — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 11:16:29 +0000

Nina Bauer, PhD, MBA, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, outlines the key differences in manufacturing cell therapies for liquid and solid tumors and comments on some of the changes that need to be made to meet the future demand of cell therapies for solid tumors. Dr Bauer explains that cell therapies are still in their infancy and manufacturing therapies for both liquid and solid tumors require further optimization. Nevertheless, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been significantly more successful in liquid tumors due to easier tumor access and several changes need to be made for widespread adoption in solid tumors. Ongoing research is currently investigating which immune cells are the most efficient at penetrating solid tumors, as well as strategies to produce larger quantities of cells for a wider group of patients. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.

The advantages and applications of CRISPR-Cas 9

Simon Ng — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 11:16:26 +0000

Nina Bauer, PhD, MBA, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, describes CRISPR-Cas 9 technology and its uses in advanced therapies. The enzymes utilized in CRISPR-Cas 9 is an efficient method of genome editing and is quicker and simpler than viral vectors. The technology can be applied in off-the-shelf therapies for solid tumors, where genome editing is necessary to reduce immunogenicity and to integrate the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) onto the cell. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.