What's Happening?
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) are advancing a smart biosensor coating to streamline the production of immunotherapies for cancer treatments. This novel coating aims to automate processes, reduce human errors, and lower production costs. The technology is designed to enable continuous monitoring and characterization of cells during immunotherapy production, addressing current limitations in flow cytometry.
Why It's Important?
The development of this biosensor coating could significantly reduce the cost and complexity of producing personalized immunotherapies, such as CAR T-cell treatments, which currently range from $300,000 to $1 million per patient. By improving accessibility and efficiency, this advancement has the potential to make life-saving treatments more available to a broader patient population, thereby transforming cancer care.
What's Next?
The research teams plan to integrate the biosensor coating with existing technologies and bioreactors used in CAR T-cell production. This integration could lead to wider adoption and further innovation in the field of immunotherapy. Continued interdisciplinary collaboration is expected to drive the development of new technologies and applications.
