CDMO Blog

Lentiviral vectors (LVV) are a key component in the production of cell and gene therapies. They are most often used to deliver genetic material that will modify cells and confer therapeutic properties. Today, even with the proliferation of cell and gene therapies in development, LVV is still produced using legacy methods employed in basic research. Overcoming technical challenges in the scale-up of LVV production is a major focus for the industry. Scalable LVV production platforms are critical for manufacturing affordable cell and gene therapies and making them more widely available. For an overview of LVV manufacturing and process optimization considerations see our previous post.

Simply put, a bioreactor is a stand-alone cell culture vessel enabled with sensors. Bioreactors differ fundamentally from traditional R&D cell culture in their ability to monitor and control key parameters such as temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO). Continuous, in situ monitoring of these parameters allow for a deep understanding of the growth environment of a given cell population -- creating avenues for process improvement. Paired controls enable dynamic, real-time responses as cells grow and the culture changes over time. With these capabilities, bioreactors can overcome limitations of traditional cell culture enabling the use of cell culture for commercial or clinical purposes.