Imagine trying to upgrade a cell's software to fight cancer, but the current tools are either too expensive or too harsh, damaging the cell. This technology uses tiny light-sensitive particles and laser pulses to gently open a temporary door in the cell membrane. This allows new genetic instructions to slide in without harming the cell's health or function.
Current genetic engineering of T cells and MSCs relies on expensive, risky viral vectors or harsh electroporation that damages cell functionality. This creates a bottleneck in producing safe, potent, and affordable adoptive cell therapies.
An automated high-throughput prototype system using photothermal sensitizers and laser light to permeabilize cells for genetic modification.
If you are a CAR-T cell therapy developer dealing with high costs and safety concerns of viral vectors — this project developed an automated photoporation system that can process over 1B T cells per hour. This allows for a safer, non-viral transfection process that preserves cell potency.
If you are an MSC-based therapy manufacturer dealing with phenotypic alterations caused by electroporation — this project developed a light-based permeabilization method that processes over 10M MSCs per hour. This ensures the cells maintain their therapeutic function during genetic modification.
If you are a point-of-care equipment provider dealing with the need for decentralized cell engineering — this project developed a high-throughput prototype system ready for integration into bedside manufacturing hardware. This enables genetic engineering to happen closer to the patient.
The system is designed for high-throughput automation, capable of transfecting more than 1 billion T cells per hour and more than 10 million MSCs per hour.
Based on available project data, it replaces expensive viral vectors and avoids the potency loss associated with electroporation, which can lower development costs and improve therapeutic yields.
Based on available project data, the project is preparing for commercialization and market deployment, but specific licensing terms are not provided.
The prototype is designed for installation at centralized cell production facilities or for integration into point-of-care cell manufacturing equipment.
The project runs from March 2024 to February 2028, aiming to reach TRL6 by the end of the period.
The consortium is highly industry-driven with a 67% industry ratio, consisting of 3 partners across Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands. The presence of 2 industrial partners and 1 research entity, including an SME coordinator (TRINCE), indicates a strong focus on commercial translation rather than pure academic research.
Contact TRINCE in Belgium for licensing and partnership inquiries.
Contact our analysts to explore integration of high-throughput photoporation into your cell therapy pipeline.
