In vitro biotechnological production and characterization of cardiomyocytes in independent anchorage systems derived from induced pluripotency stem cells for cell therapy

• Grant number: 20/06673-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2021
• End date: December 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Patrícia Léo
• Grantee: Sirlene da Silva Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas S/A (IPT). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are leading causes of death worldwide and the treatment options still are limited. Currently, cell replacement therapy is one of the treatment options studied, which aims to use pluripotent stem cells to produce cardiac cells, the cardiomyocytes. Stem cell can be expanded indefinitely, efficiently differentiated into a variety of cell lineages and potential in regenerative medicine. Clinical and preclinical studies of cell replacement therapy require large-scale cardiomyocytes production, which is challenging for traditional two-dimensional adhesion culture-based culture system. Thus, culture adaptation and differentiation process to a suspension culture system is a viable alternative to increase laboratory scale production. Bioreactor is a system capable meeting high clinical and preclinical demands, however several factors need to be defined during viable cardiomyocytes production to biotechnology applications. Adaptation of anchor-dependent cells to suspension growth is not restricted to replacing static systems for spinner cell growth systems, but involves challenges such as a shear problem, among other that must be adjusted first in small volumes before adapting them to processes in bioreactors. So, spinner flasks insides as a low cost path for pluripotent stem cells production, expansion and differentiation and, also, similar to a closed system, simulation of the future bioreactor production by defining the internal and external variables that culture influence, such as pH, agitation, concentration of medium constituents and initial cell concentration. (AU)