MIT spin-out company Kytopen signed a deal with Cambridge Consultants to co-develop the FlowfectTM system, a scalable process that reportedly yields billions of engineered cells in minutes. The product will streamline the engineering of a wide array of human and human-derived cells for use in next-generation cell therapies, with the goal of expanding access to new medicines, says Paulo Garcia, CEO and co-founder of Kytopen.
Kytopen’s non-viral Flowfect technology uses continuous fluid flow combined with electric fields for delivery of payloads such as mRNA, DNA, and CRISPR. The technology is compatible with a variety of cells, including iPSCs, primary T cells, and other human hematopoietic cells, being developed for immuno-oncology and gene editing applications, continues Garcia, who adds that “this first alpha device will represent a leap forward in the emerging cell therapy space, enabling therapeutic partners to realize improved transfection throughput and scalability, while maintaining cell health and function.”
According to Garcia, Flowfect fits within the manufacturing process and has the potential to improve current approaches. The core technology was developed in the laboratory of Cullen Buie, PhD, at MIT. Subsequently, Buie and Garcia joined MIT’s “The Engine,” an ecosystem of tech companies.
“Flowfect technology has been developed from the ground up to deliver high-performance transfection of cells in both R&D and clinical manufacturing scenarios using identical core technology,” says Mike Dunkley, senior vp at Cambridge Consultants. “The combined benefit of improved performance and faster scaleup that this approach delivers will help cell therapy pioneers tackling the challenges of high cost and manufacturing quality associated with currently available technology. We’re delighted to be partnering with Kytopen, using our expertise in device engineering and regulated development to accelerate its progress to alpha, and widening access to these revolutionary new therapies.”
