LAUSR

Background & Aim Adoptive immunotherapy displays immense potential as an immunotherapeutic strategy for patients with advanced malignancies. Phenol red has been a mainstay in media used for the ex vivo expansion of primary T cells. Those in the field prefer to keep phenol red out of the growth media because of potential regulatory concerns and the knowledge that it can interfere with sensors that are crucial to automated production workflows. To better serve customers, Thermo Fisher Scientific formulated a phenol red-free version of CTS™ OpTmizer™ T-Cell Expansion Serum-Free Medium (SFM) for use in T cell therapy manufacturing work flows. The design for CTS OpTmizer T-Cell Expansion SFM, no phenol red, is identical to that of the parent product, with the lone difference being the removal of phenol red from the basal medium. Methods, Results & Conclusion Here, we present data confirming that the removal of phenol red from the basal formulation does not affect T cell growth, viability, or phenotype. We also show that the additions of GlutaMAX™ can enhance viability, and the addition of CTS Immune Cell Serum Replacement (ISCR), a defined serum substitute, can improve cell growth during expansion, while still maintaining a desirable phenotype. Finally, we display the results of a comparison between CTS OpTmizer T-Cell Expansion SFM, no phenol red and the industry standard, in various vessel, demonstrating that CTS OpTmizer without phenol red is as effective as the phenol red-containing counterpart.