[HTML][HTML] Bioreactor-based mass production of human iPSC-derived macrophages enables immunotherapies against bacterial airway infections

M Ackermann, H Kempf, M Hetzel, C Hesse… - Nature …, 2018 - nature.com
M Ackermann, H Kempf, M Hetzel, C Hesse, AR Hashtchin, K Brinkert, JW Schott, K Haake…
Nature communications, 2018nature.com
The increasing number of severe infections with multi-drug-resistant pathogens worldwide
highlights the need for alternative treatment options. Given the pivotal role of phagocytes
and especially alveolar macrophages in pulmonary immunity, we introduce a new, cell-
based treatment strategy to target bacterial airway infections. Here we show that the mass
production of therapeutic phagocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) in industry-
compatible, stirred-tank bioreactors is feasible. Bioreactor-derived iPSC-macrophages …
Abstract
The increasing number of severe infections with multi-drug-resistant pathogens worldwide highlights the need for alternative treatment options. Given the pivotal role of phagocytes and especially alveolar macrophages in pulmonary immunity, we introduce a new, cell-based treatment strategy to target bacterial airway infections. Here we show that the mass production of therapeutic phagocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) in industry-compatible, stirred-tank bioreactors is feasible. Bioreactor-derived iPSC-macrophages (iPSC-Mac) represent a highly pure population of CD45+CD11b+CD14+CD163+ cells, and share important phenotypic, functional and transcriptional hallmarks with professional phagocytes, however with a distinct transcriptome signature similar to primitive macrophages. Most importantly, bioreactor-derived iPSC-Mac rescue mice from Pseudomonas aeruginosa-mediated acute infections of the lower respiratory tract within 4-8 h post intra-pulmonary transplantation and reduce bacterial load. Generation of specific immune-cells from iPSC-sources in scalable stirred-tank bioreactors can extend the field of immunotherapy towards bacterial infections, and may allow for further innovative cell-based treatment strategies.
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