TC Biopharm has formulated its first Gamma Delta T (GDT) cell banks it says provides the firm with the technology to develop next-generation allogeneic CAR-T therapies.
Supported by a €4 million ($4.5 million) grant from the European Union’s Horizon 2020, Scotland, UK-based biotech TC Biopharm has completed formulation of its first GDT cell banks intended to help rapidly progress its allogeneic therapies through the clinic.
“GDT cells are a subset of white blood cells and are part of the innate immune system. Current CAR-T therapies are based on alpha-beta T cells, which are part of the adaptive immune system. GDT cells function by sensing stress signals common across dysregulated cells, such as cancerous or infected cells, and then eradicating those cells,” Angela Scott, COO at TC Biopharm spokesperson told BioProcess Insider.
“Our development strategy is based on building upon the GDT cell vehicle using proprietary CAR structures, to enhance the potency of the cell killing whilst maintaining the absolute safety of the cells which don’t kill healthy cells, even if they are expressing the CAR-targeted antigen.”
GDT cells are suitable for off-the-shelf transplants from healthy donors to patients without the complex gene editing being investigated for alpha beta T cells, she told us. “We believe this will allow for a more consistent, higher quality, and more reasonably priced product, which can be delivered to more patients with acute clinical need.”
Cell Banking
The cell banking takes place according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) at TC Biopharm’s facility in Glasgow.
“Our matched cell banks are derived from healthy donors who have provided informed consent,” said Scott.
“Volunteer donors are screened according to initial questionnaires and subsequent blood analyses to ensure a good match with the patient. We assess donor suitability based on a number of criteria to ensure that the resulting cell products are safe for patients, and that the gamma delta T cells are fit and healthy and ready to be used as the foundation of a potent anti-cancer therapy.
“Patients undergo apheresis to collect the cells and the material is then transported very quickly to our facility, where our production team process the material and freeze it in a controlled manner. The whole process takes only a matter of hours.”