Welcome to the third edition of the MaxCyte Minutes for 2024!
At MaxCyte, we know that cells are precious, especially when they are the key to novel treatments for patients in need. In this issue of the MaxCyte Minutes newsletter, we share some news, events and technical content highlighting how we can help you with your next cell engineering project to preserve those precious cells and accelerate your research from concept to clinic and commercialization.
In the news
MaxCyte signs strategic platform license with Kamau Therapeutics to accelerate the development of cell therapies for genetic diseases
We are thrilled to announce that we are partnering with Kamau Therapeutics, a clinical-stage, next-generation gene correction company. The company's platform is founded on homology-directed repair (HDR) to correct genetic mutations with unprecedented precision through the CRISPR-Cas9 system that precisely cuts pathologic mutations and pastes the correct sequence to restore healthy function.
Porton Advanced obtains a license to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation Technology and ExPERT Platform
Porton Advanced recently introduced the ExPERT GTx Flow Electroporation technology to strengthen their process development and clinical production capabilities. Porton Advanced will collaborate with MaxCyte’s technical and regulatory teams to accelerate the translation of gene and cell engineering drugs to clinics and, ultimately, the market.
MaxCyte announces collaboration with ScaleReady to participate in the G-Rex® Grant Program
We are thrilled to announce that we are teaming up with ScaleReady, the cell therapy manufacturing solutions expert, to participate in ScaleReady’s newly launched G‑Rex Grant Program. This $20-million-dollar initiative is designed to support the advancement of cell and gene therapies (CGT) by providing organizations with critical resources and services to develop and implement a G-Rex manufacturing platform.
“The G-Rex Grant Program represents a significant step forward in reducing the barrier to entry that many CGT companies encounter in cell and gene therapy development,” said Maher Masoud, President and Chief Executive Officer of MaxCyte. “Our involvement formalizes a long-standing relationship between MaxCyte and ScaleReady and ensures that G-Rex grant recipients will benefit from our state-of-the-art electroporation technology and extensive expertise in cell therapy development. We are able to help them transfect virtually any cell type for any application at any scale.”
Cell and gene therapy updates
Development of a non-viral gene delivery platform for CAR-T manufacturing
Webinar
The use of CAR-T cells as potent therapies for refractory B-cell and plasma cell malignancies poses an immense financial burden. It requires lengthy manufacturing times, especially for GMP-grade vector production.
Non-viral gene delivery methods are therefore a desirable alternative, and the first non-viral cell therapy was recently FDA-approved. Homology-directed recombination (HDR) is a common strategy for gene delivery, but its low frequency yields few CAR-T cells during manufacturing. In contrast, non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is the primary pathway of dsDNA break repair, and NHEJ-mediated homology-independent targeted insertion (HITI) is more efficiently for target knockin in several cell types and pre-clinical studies.
Here, we show HITI-mediated site-directed integration of a therapeutically relevant GD2-CAR transgene into the T cell receptor alpha constant (TRAC) locus using nanoplasmid DNA and CRISPR/Cas9 in primary human T cells. We will compare viral and non-viral platforms for developing a GD2 CAR-T manufacturing process while demonstrating process comparability and non-viral process feasibility. We will provide a deeper understanding of how to improve cell engineering efficiencies, cell viabilities and scalability.
Overcoming viral vector risks
Article
The field of cell and gene therapy (CGT) has advanced significantly, offering new treatments for various conditions. However, the use of viral vectors in these therapies poses safety risks and increases manufacturing costs. The FDA has issued warnings about the oncogenic potential of these vectors. In this article, James Brady, PhD, Senior Vice President of Technical Applications and Customer Support at MaxCyte, showcases electroporation as a safer and more cost-effective alternative for delivering genetic material into cells. This method could simplify therapeutic development and reduce the risks associated with viral vectors.
The State of CRISPR and gene editing
Breakout session
In this enlightening breakout session from The State of CRISPR and Gene Editing summit hosted by Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, James Brady, PhD, presents "Translating CRISPR-based Therapies to the Clinic with GMP-compliant, Scalable Electroporation."
MaxCyte’s electroporation platform supports cell therapy developers from concept to commercialization. The MaxCyte ExPERT electroporation platform was developed for use in the clinic and has been used in a wide array of applications and cell types, including CRISPR gene editing.
Discover how MaxCyte’s proprietary Flow Electroporation technology enables efficient and scalable delivery of CRISPR components into cells. Learn about the scalability, standardization and clinical relevance of our electroporation approach.
High efficiency complex gene editing of hard-to-transfect primary cells using MaxCyte electroporation in combination with Synthego sgRNAs
Poster
In case you missed us at the Genome Engineering: CRISPR Frontiers summit, our Senior Applications Scientist, Andrew Guy Mancini, co-presented a poster with Kevin Holden from Synthego. Our poster showcased groundbreaking advancements in gene-editing efficiencies using guide RNAs with electroporation.
Bioprocessing updates
Accelerate your antibody development and production
Brochure
The MaxCyte ExPERT electroporation platform, supported by a global team of R&D and applications scientists, can help accelerate your therapeutic antibody discovery and development to bring new treatments to the clinic sooner.
Case study
From roadblocks to breakthroughs, unlocking clinic-ready efficiency
Hear from Megan Embrey, Senior Field Applications Scientist, as she discusses how her commitment and scientific knowledge helped in uncovering a significant flaw in the transfer process from one of our partners to a CDMO. Timeliness was crucial as patients relied on the therapy and required an immediate resolution. After a few days on-site, she successfully pinpointed the problem, trained the operators, and refined their standard operating procedures.
Focus on Marina Prasek
Interview with MaxCyte's Director of Project Management
In this issue, we explore the journey of Marina Prasek as a project and portfolio management leader. In her early career, she spent a few years conducting research, teaching and writing grant proposals in academia, and her first role was project manager managing a grant funded by the NIH. Mentorship played a pivotal role in her career development leading to project management professional certification, which significantly impacted her career trajectory.
She has volunteered for the Project Management Institute's Southern Maryland Chapter which reflects her commitment to giving back through mentoring initiatives. She enjoys working with colleagues who are passionate about what they do and driven to make a difference.
Customer testimonial
Without MaxCyte, we would not have been able to scale our process to the level needed for our clinical program. Compared to other platforms evaluated, with MaxCyte's large-scale, closed-system electroporation process, we are able to drive down COGS, derisk the process, and have a reliable unit operation for gene editing.
Director at a United States Biotech
Upcoming events
We are excited to attend multiple conferences and host many institutional seminars and events. Find all the latest on our events page.
