FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for cell culturing.

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, and despite years of extraordinary research efforts, treatments have remained elusive. The diversity of tumor types presents a challenge in cancer therapy, as treatments tailored to one tumor may not be effective against another. Personalized treatments have been sought, but many challenges exist in developing them.

One promising area has been T cell therapy, wherein a patient's T cells are altered to target certain cancers. This includes chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, T cell receptor (TCR) therapy, and neoantigen-based T cell therapy. Neoantigen-based therapies provide the ability to identify antigens from tumor sequencing data to design highly personalized patient-specific immunotherapies.

Unfortunately, many challenges exist in the development and manufacture of T cell therapies. Existing processes for isolation, preparation, and expansion of cancer antigen-specific T-cells are limited. Conventional protocols for stimulation of human T cells by autologous antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) involve several manual steps, including transferring cells between culture vessels, changing media, and replenishing cytokines and cell medium. Those processes are labor-intensive and not readily scalable. The number of manual steps required to carry out the protocol is prohibitively high. Additionally, those protocols involve the use of flasks or other containers, which are opened and closed during use, adding to the risk of contamination which can compromise the quality and safety of the cell product. Such methods do not comply with current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) and are not useful for producing T cell therapies at large scale. Additional challenges also exist, such as time of cell preparation, maintenance of optimal phenotype, expansion to sufficient cell number, and quality and safety of the cell product.

SUMMARY

The invention recognizes that automating T cell therapy processing and manufacturing has been unsuccessful due to the complex biological processes associated as well as the bioprocess and regulatory requirements associated with autologous cell processing. The few systems that do exist are overly complex and cost-prohibitive, and are therefore are not useful for pre-clinical assays. The inventive cell culture systems and related methods of the invention provide solutions to many of the problems in cell culturing and provides numerous features to decrease contamination and user error, as well as increase efficiency, scalability, and ease of use. The systems and methods of the invention provide capabilities for robust T cell production, while minimizing cost and increasing simplicity and ease of use, making the disclosed systems and methods useful for both pre-clinical research and routine cell culture, while being capable of meeting requirements for current good manufacturing practices for clinical manufacturing.

In certain aspects, the disclosed systems and methods provide improved automated technology for producing antigen-specific T cells. Automation of the manual processes dramatically reduces opportunities for user error and decreases the risk of contamination. For example, the disclosure provides systems and methods for producing CAR-T and TCR transduced T cells, as well as neoantigen-targeting T cells in a closed system. This avoids the need to open and close T flasks, as is common in the prior art, thereby simplifying the process and avoiding sources of contamination. As another example, cell culture systems are disclosed which are configured with easily interchangeable cell culture chambers, allowing the user to scale up or scale down a cell population. The various chambers and vessels are connectable via sterile tube welding, so that the system can remain closed throughout use. The disclosure also provides gas-impermeable cartridges for cell culture, which provide a solid polystyrene surface for optimal cell adhesion and rigid cartridge construction which is easy to manufacture and less susceptible to contamination when operated with welded tube connections. The disclosed systems also allow parallel processing of dendritic cells and T cells in a process for generating stimulated T cells. The system architecture streamlines the process of T cell culture, providing savings in time and materials. Another way that the system saves materials is by recycling cell culture medium, to ensure that cells can be cultured with minimal amount of expensive culture medium and supplements.

In addition to the features described above, other features will be apparent to those of skill in the art, as the disclosed systems and methods provide numerous opportunities for process optimization in immunotherapeutic product manufacturing.

Aspects of the disclosure provide a cell culture system with interchangeable cartridges. The cell culture system includes a first area configured to receive a fluid reservoir containing a cell culture medium and a second area configured to receive a waste reservoir. The cell culture system also has one or more pumps fluidically connectable to the fluid reservoir and a substrate configured to receive and retain cell culture chambers of different shapes and/or sizes.

In embodiments, the substrate has a plurality of different openings arranged such that the substrate is configured to receive and retain cell culture chambers of different shapes and/or sizes. The substrate can be configured to receive and retain multiple cell culture chambers simultaneously. A first portion of the substrate may be configured to receive a first cell culture chamber of a first size whereas a second portion of the substrate is configured to receive a second cell culture chamber of a second shape which is different from the first size. In embodiments, the first portion of the substrate is configured to receive a first cell culture chamber of a first shape and the second portion of the substrate is configured to receive a second cell culture chamber of a second shape that is different from the first shape. In embodiments, the first portion of the substrate is configured to receive a first cell culture chamber of a first size and shape and a second portion of the substrate is configured to receive a second cell culture chamber of a second size and shape that is different from the first size and shape.

In embodiments, the fluid reservoir is positioned in the first area and the waste reservoir is positioned in the waste area. One or more tubes can be included that fluidically connect the fluid reservoir to the one or more pumps, and/or the one or more pumps to the cell culture chambers, and/or the cell culture chambers to the waste reservoir. Each cell culture chamber can be fluidically coupled to a separate pump. In some embodiments, a processor is operably connected to the one or more pumps and one or more sensors are operable to measure a characteristic of a fluid in the cell culture system, wherein the processor operates the one or more pumps based on the measured characteristic.

In a related aspect, the disclosure provides a method for culturing cells. The method includes providing a cell culture system that has a first area configured to receive a fluid reservoir containing a cell culture medium and a second area configured to receive a waste reservoir, one or more pumps fluidically connectable to the fluid reservoir, and a substrate configured to receive and retain cell culture chambers of different shapes and/or sizes. The method further involves loading the fluid reservoir into the first area and the waste reservoir into the second area, loading a first cell culture chamber of a first size and/or shape onto a first portion of the substrate, and loading a second cell culture chamber of a second size and/or shape onto a second portion of the substrate. The method further involves connecting the fluid reservoir, the one or more pumps, the first and second cell culture chambers, and the waste reservoir with tubing. The method further involves operating the system to culture cells in the first and second cell culture chambers.

In embodiments, the substrate has a plurality of different openings arranged such that the substrate is configured to receive and retain cell culture chambers of different shapes and/or sizes. The first cell culture chamber can be of a first size and the second cell culture chamber can be of a second size. The first cell culture chamber can be of a first shape and the second cell culture chamber can be of a second shape. The first cell culture chamber can be of both a first size and shape, and the second cell culture chamber can be of both a second size and shape.

In embodiments, each of the first and second cell culture chambers is fluidically coupled to a separate pump. The system can also include a processor operably connected to the one or more pumps and one or more sensors operable to measure a characteristic of a fluid in the cell culture system, wherein the processor operates the one or more pumps based on the measured characteristic.

In embodiments, after cell culturing is complete in the first and second cell culture chambers, the cultured cells in each of the first and second cell culture chambers are collected. The cultured cells in each of the first and second cell culture chambers can be collected in the same collection vessel or in different collection vessels.

In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for producing transduced T cells with CAR or TCR in a closed system. The method involves providing a cell culture instrument that has first and second culture chambers and flowing a suspension containing cells into the first culture chamber. The method further involves perfusing the T cells in the first culture chamber with appropriate transduction and expansion reagents to produce transduced T cells which expand in the first culture chamber. The method further involves flowing the transduced and expanded T cells from the first culture chamber into the second culture chamber. The method further involves flowing a cell culture medium into the second culture chamber to further expand the transduced and expanded T cells, wherein the method is performed on a single instrument in a closed manner such that sterility is maintained throughout the method.

In some embodiments, the second culture chamber is larger than the first culture chamber. One or both culture chambers can be made of polystyrene. The culture chambers can be connected via a sterile tube. The first culture chamber may have an activation reagent and/or a cell transduction reagent, which may be an inactive virus expressing CAR or TCR. Alternatively the second culture chamber may be a separate cell culture instrument that is not part of the first cell culture instrument.

In embodiments, the cell culture medium is provided in a sterile vessel and is connected to the closed system by sterile tube welding. Flowing the cell culture medium into the first culture chamber may involve eliminating headspace in the first culture chamber. The cell culture medium may include Aim V with interleukin-2.

The method may further involve activating the T cells in the first culture chamber, which can be done by contacting with a magnetic or non-magnetic bead comprising one or more activating antibodies or soluble activation antibody-containing reagents, and a transduction reagent. The method may further involve draining fluid from the second culture chamber, washing the transduced and expanded T cells with a buffer, and flowing a cryopreservation medium into the second culture chamber to re-suspend the transduced and expanded T cells. The method may further involve flowing the transduced and expanded T-cells into a harvesting vessel in a closed manner.

In embodiments, each of the flowing steps may be done via sterile tubes. The sterile tubes may be connected by sterile tube welding.

In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for producing neoantigen-targeting T cells in a closed system. The method includes providing a cell culture instrument having first and second culture chambers and flowing cell culture medium containing monocytes into the first culture chamber. The method also involves perfusing the purified monocytes in the first culture chamber to produce dendritic cells in the first culture chamber and contacting the dendritic cells with antigen material, which may include tumor-specific peptides, in the first culture chamber to produce mature dendritic cells. The method further involves flowing the mature dendritic cells from the first culture chamber into the second culture chamber comprising purified T cells to co-culture the mature dendritic cells and the purified T cells, to thereby produce neoantigen-targeting T cells. The method is performed on a single instrument in a closed manner such that sterility is maintained throughout the method.

In embodiments, the method also involves flowing a second batch of monocytes into the second culture chamber, differentiating them into dendritic cells and maturing the dendritic cells, in order to then perform a second co-culture with the purified T cells. The first and second culture chambers can be made of polystyrene. The first and second culture chambers can be connected via a sterile tube. The cell culture medium can be provided in a sterile vessel and can be connected to the closed system by sterile tube welding. The step of flowing the cell culture medium into the first culture chamber can involve eliminating headspace in the first culture chamber. Each of the flowing steps can be done via sterile tubes, which may be connected by sterile tube welding.

In embodiments, the method also includes activating the T cells in the second culture chamber. In embodiments, the method also includes draining fluid from the second culture chamber, washing the neoantigen-targeting T cells with a buffer, and flowing a cryopreservation medium into the second culture chamber to re-suspend the neoantigen-targeting T cells. The method may also involve flowing the neoantigen-targeting T cells into a harvesting vessel in a closed manner.

In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for parallel processing to produce dendritic cells and stimulate T cells in parallel. The method includes providing a cell culture instrument with first and second culture chambers and flowing cell culture medium containing monocytes into the first culture chamber. The method further includes perfusing the monocytes in the first culture chamber to produce dendritic cells in the first culture chamber. The method further includes flowing T cells that have been cultured in the second culture chamber from the second culture chamber into the first culture chamber with the dendritic cells to further culture the T cells in the first culture chamber. In embodiments, sterility is maintained throughout the method.

The method may also include collecting the cultured T cells from the first culture chamber by flowing the cultured T cells into a collection vessel. The method may also include maturing the dendritic cells in the first culture chamber by contacting the dendritic cells with antigen material, which may include tumor-specific peptides. In embodiments, the method also involves activating the T cells in the second culture chamber, which can be done by using an activation reagent. In embodiments, the method also involves washing the stimulated T cells with a buffer, and optionally transferring the stimulated T cells to a cryopreservation medium. The method may also involve flowing the neoantigen-targeting T cells into a harvesting vessel in a closed manner. Each of the flowing steps can be done via sterile tubes, which are optionally connected by sterile tube welding.

The cell culture medium may be provided in a sterile vessel and may be connected to the closed system by sterile tube welding. Flowing the cell culture medium into the first culture chamber may involve eliminating headspace in the first culture chamber. In embodiments, the first and second culture chambers are made of polystyrene, and optionally may be connected via a sterile tube. In some embodiments, one or both of the first and second cell culture chambers from the cell culture instrument can be replaced and the method can be repeated.

In another aspect, the disclosure provides a gas-impermeable cell culture chamber, wherein a top, a bottom, and both side walls are comprised of a gas-impermeable material. The gas-impermeable material may also be a material to which cells adhere. The gas-impermeable material may be polystyrene.

In embodiments, the cell culture chamber has an inlet. The cell culture chamber may also have an outlet. The inlet and the outlet can be located on the top of the cell culture chamber, and optionally the inlet and the outlet are each configured to fluidically and sealably couple with tubing. The cell culture chamber can be integrally formed, and it can be sized and configured to fit within an incubator. The cell culture chamber can be sized and configured to couple to a substrate of a cell culture instrument.

In a related aspect, the disclosure provides a method for culturing cells that involves providing a cell culture chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein a top, a bottom, and both side walls are made of a gas-impermeable material. The method also involves loading cells in to the cell culture chamber and flowing a cell culture medium into the cell culture chamber via the inlet to culture the cells in the culture chamber and out of the cell culture chamber via the outlet, wherein the flowing of the cell culture medium through the cell culture chamber via the inlet and the outlet causes continuous flow of cell culture medium through the cell culture chamber and allows for gas exchange to occur between the cells in the cell culture chamber and the cell culture medium.

In embodiments, the gas-impermeable material is also a material to which cells adhere, such as polystyrene. In embodiments, the inlet and the outlet are located on the top of the cell culture chamber and are optionally configured to fluidically and sealably couple with tubing. The tubing can be high permeability tubing which allows the cell culture medium to exchange gas while in the high permeability tubing. In embodiments, the cell culture chamber is integrally formed. The cell culture chamber can be sized and configured to fit within an incubator and optionally it can be sized and configured to couple to a substrate of a cell culture instrument.

In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for culturing cells that involves culturing cells in a cell culture chamber on a cell culture instrument by flowing a cell culture medium through the cell culture chamber, wherein a portion of the cell culture medium that has already been flowed through the cell culture chamber is recycled back into the cell culture chamber during the cell culturing process.

In embodiments, the method also involves measuring one or more parameters of the used medium prior to the recycling. The parameters can be a concentration of one or more compounds within the used medium, such as glucose, lactate, dissolved oxygen, or cell metabolites. The parameter can also be pH or cell number.

In embodiments, the method involves determining, using a processor operably connected to the cell culture chamber, whether at least one of the one or more parameters of the used medium meets a predetermined threshold prior to the recycling step. The measuring step can be performed by one or more sensors operably associated with the cell culture chamber. The one or more sensors can be operably associated with a waste reservoir in fluid communication with the cell culture chamber. The cell culture chamber can be operably connected to one or more pumps, and may have an inlet and an outlet. The recycling step may involve redirecting the portion of used medium from the waste reservoir back into the cell culture chamber. In embodiments, the portion of used medium is combined with a bolus of fresh medium.

In a related aspect, the disclosure provides a method for culturing cells, which involves providing a cell culture chamber containing cells, flowing a cell culture medium into the cell culture chamber, removing used cell culture medium from the cell culture chamber, assessing a parameter of the used cell culture medium, and returning the used cell culture medium to the cell culture chamber if the parameter meets a predetermined threshold.

In embodiments, the method also involves combining the used cell culture medium with a bolus of fresh cell culture medium prior to the returning step. The assessing step may involve measuring the parameter using a sensor operably coupled to the cell culture chamber. The assessing step may involve determining, using a processor, whether the parameter meets the predetermined threshold. The parameter may be a measured concentration of one or more compounds within the used cell culture medium, such as glucose, lactate, or cell metabolites. In embodiments, the returning step comprises redirecting the used cell culture medium from a waste reservoir into the cell culture chamber. In other embodiments, the method also involves discarding the used cell culture medium if the parameter does not meet the predetermined threshold, and flowing fresh cell culture medium into the cell culture chamber.

In another aspect, this disclosure provides a cell culture system that includes a plurality of shelves for receiving fluid reservoirs. The shelves may be stacked with a first shelf on top of a second shelf, each of the first and second shelves configured to receive a fluid reservoir. Each of the shelves may include a retaining mechanism that retains the fluid reservoir on each of the first and second shelves.

The system may further include at least one pump, a processor operably coupled to the at least one pump; and a substrate sized and configured to hold a plurality of cell culture chambers at a same time. Preferably, the system further includes at least one sensor, and the processor may be connected to the at least one sensor and can configured to operate the at least one pump based on a characteristic measured by the sensor. For example, the sensor may measure a concentration of one or more compounds within cell culture medium, such as glucose, lactate, or cell metabolites. The processor may regulate the pump (e.g., turn the pump on or off) based on measurements made from one or more sensors. For example, one sensor may be attached to a cell culture chamber. That sensor may measure, for example, glucose levels inside the media within the cell culture chamber. When the glucose levels fall below a pre-determined threshold, the processor may trigger the pump to replace the media in the cell culture chamber.

In some embodiments, the processor is configured to receive and execute instructions for culturing a cell type. In other instances, the processor may be configured to receive and execute instructions for transducing T cells.

In some embodiments, the substrate is configured to receive cell culture chambers of different sizes and/or shapes. This configuration is advantageous because it allows the system to be customized to culture different quantities of cells, or different cell types, depending on the particular needs of the user. The system may further include a plurality of pumps. For example, the system may include a separate pump for each cell culture chamber included within the system allowing for cells within each cell culture chamber to be separately cultured.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a plurality of tubes that fluidically connect from a first fluid reservoir on the first shelf to the plurality of pumps, from the plurality of pumps to a plurality of cell culture chambers, and from the plurality of cell culture chambers to a second fluid reservoir on the second shelf. Preferably, the system is dimensioned for insertion into an incubator.

In a related aspect, this disclosure provides a method for the sterile culture of cells. The method includes providing a cell culture system comprising a plurality of shelves stacked with a first shelf on top of a second shelf, each of the first and second shelves configured to receive a fluid reservoir; at least one pump; a processor operably coupled to the at least one pump; and

a substrate sized and configured to hold a plurality of cell culture chambers at a same time. The method further includes loading a first fluid reservoir onto the first shelf, loading a second fluid reservoir onto the second shelf, loading a first cell culture chamber and a second cell culture chamber onto the substrate, connecting the fluid and second fluid reservoirs, the at least one pump, and the first and second cell culture chambers, with tubing; and operating the system to culture cells inside the first and second cell culture chambers.

In some embodiments, the first and the second cell culture chambers includes different sizes or shapes. In some embodiments, the system includes at least one sensor. In some embodiments, the processor is connected to at least one sensor and is configured to operate the pump based on a characteristic measured by the sensor.

