Draper, a Spiceland, Indiana-headquartered research and development company, has developed a microfluidic transduction device (MTD) for companies to manufacture T-cell therapies with less viral vectors, the delivery vehicle of genomic materials into specific cells.

Draper’s MTD can be integrated into existing lab automation systems for generating chimeric antigen receptor T-cells. The MTD is designed to use transmembrane fluid flow to both concentrate and co-localize target cells with viral vectors.

“Increasing the efficiency of viral transduction or reducing the amount of required virus has the potential to dramatically lower the cost of manufactured cell therapies and enable broader clinical use,” said Ken Kotz, a senior member of the technical staff in Draper’s biomedical solutions group, in a February 26, 2018 company statement.  

Draper is working with several types of companies: pharmaceutical companies on drug discovery and development; medical device developers to provide clinicians with quantitative diagnostic data at bedside; and biomanufacturing companies on increasing the speed and reducing the cost of processing cell therapies.

Source: Draper