Do race, ethnicity and ancestry still impact HLA genotyping?
Race, ethnicity and ancestry. How are they different? And, as testing and cell therapy science evolves, do they still impact HLA genotyping? That was the focus of discussion
Expanding cord blood use in cell therapy
The newly formed NMDP BioTherapies Cord Blood Bank Alliance has the potential to open the door to new cell therapies by expanding awareness and enabling researchers and developers to more easily identify and access cord blood units for their work.
Don’t overlook histocompatibility in allogeneic cell therapy
Many allogeneic cell therapy developers believe they can overcome HLA barriers. However, HLA is only one factor to consider, and the issue of histocompatibility should not be overlooked.
International regulations for allogeneic cell source material
When you procure cellular starting material or distribute a cell or gene therapy product across international borders, you must consider the country or regional regulatory requirements at play and where they diverge. Allogeneic cell therapy sponsors face common challenges when treating a global patient population with therapies using healthy adult donor starting material.
4 benefits of cord blood for allogeneic cell therapies
Cord blood’s unique, naïve biology often comes up as a reason to use it as an allogeneic cell therapy source material. But as Cleveland Cord Blood Center Executive Director Marcie Finney explains, there are 4 non-biological factors cell and gene therapy developers should also consider.
HLA, histocompatibility and the science of cell source selection
Allogeneic cell therapy development has been top-of-mind in recent years as autologous cell therapies see continued success. For more than three decades, the largest group of HLA experts in the world has worked to create a unique cell source selection expertise. That expertise holds value for allogeneic cell and gene therapy developers, too.
The value of cord blood as an allogeneic source material
Umbilical cord blood is an abundant resource that is rich in cellular source material, which makes it an attractive option for cell and gene therapy developers. Get a better understanding of the benefits of using cord blood and considerations for contracting with multiple cord blood banks.
Effect of rapid cell therapy growth on collection capacity
The rapid growth of the cell and gene therapy industry is a positive for patients. However, it comes with increasing demand for high-quality cellular source material collected at apheresis centers. Managing collection capacity impacts from this growth requires understanding challenges from the perspective of the apheresis center and collaboration across the industry to develop solutions.
The promise allogeneic NK cell and iPSC therapies hold
Cell and gene therapy developers are pursuing allogeneic approaches, which ideally could be produced in greater quantities and be available “off-the-shelf.” Those using natural killer (NK) cells and cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are creating buzz in the industry. Drs. Sarah Cooley, Stephen Gottschalk and Stephan Grupp offer their insights.