In a significant advance for cancer immunotherapy, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, in collaboration with Monash University, have developed a safer and more efficient method to retrieve lab-grown T-cells, a crucial step in making CAR T-cell therapy more effective and accessible.
CAR T-cell therapy, considered one of the most promising breakthroughs in cancer treatment, works by harnessing the patient’s own immune system. Doctors extract T-cells, which are a type of white blood cells, from the patient’s blood, genetically modify them in the laboratory to recognise and attack cancer cells, multiply them in large numbers, and then infuse them back into the patient. The success of the therapy hinges not just on how well these cells are engineered, but also on how gently and efficiently they are grown and recovered before being returned to the body.
While existing methods allow T-cells to be expanded outside the body, retrieving them without damaging their viability and function has remained a major challenge.
To grow T-cells in the lab, scientists often use electrospun scaffolds that are fibrous structures designed to mimic the body’s natural tissue environment. These scaffolds encourage T-cells to cluster, a vital step for their activation and proliferation. However, the same fibrous structure that supports cell growth also poses a problem.
As T-cells move deeper into the scaffold, they become tightly lodged between the fibres. Conventional methods, such as flushing the scaffold with growth media using pipettes, often fail to retrieve all the cells. Many remain trapped, reducing overall cell yield and potentially compromising the effectiveness of the therapy.
“Cell recovery sounds simple on paper, but in practice it turns out to be one of the biggest challenges,” said Prof Prakriti Tayalia of IIT Bombay, who led the study. “Without enough healthy cells, they cannot be tested properly or delivered efficiently for therapy.”
For your daily dose of medical news and updates, visit: HEALTH
The IIT Bombay–Monash University team developed a simpler and gentler recovery method that significantly improves both the number of T-cells retrieved and their health after extraction.
Their research showed that cells recovered using the new technique not only survived in greater numbers but also formed healthier T-cell clusters, an essential precursor for cell division and sustained growth after recovery. Importantly, the recovered cells continued to grow well, indicating that their functional integrity remained intact.
The study used Jurkat T-cells, a human T-cell line commonly employed in laboratory research to study T-cell biology, cancer and HIV. These cells were grown inside electrospun scaffolds made from polycaprolactone, a biocompatible material widely used in medical research.
Even when strong flushing methods were applied earlier, cells lodged at fibre junctions proved difficult to remove. The new approach overcomes this limitation, making the recovery process far more efficient.
For patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy, every step, from cell extraction to reinfusion, directly affects outcomes. A higher yield of viable, functional T-cells improves the chances of a successful immune response against cancer.
“If we want these advanced therapies to reach patients, every step matters,” Prof Tayalia said. “How we grow cells, and how we retrieve them, can make a real difference.”
The findings are particularly relevant as India ramps up its own CAR T-cell programmes, aiming to make the therapy more affordable and scalable compared to its high-cost international counterparts. Improvements in cell recovery could help reduce production inefficiencies and bring down overall costs.
While the research is currently laboratory-based, its implications extend far beyond the lab. As CAR T-cell therapies expand to treat a wider range of cancers and potentially autoimmune diseases, efficient, reproducible, and safe cell manufacturing processes will be critical.
By addressing cell retrieval, which is one of the most overlooked bottlenecks in immunotherapy, the IIT Bombay-led study moves the field closer to making next-generation cancer treatments more reliable and patient-ready.
