Cell Therapies Platform and Miltenyi Biotec Cell Therapy Centre of Excellence launched at MHTP

Professor Graham Jenkin

A Cell Therapies Platform, incorporating the international biotechnology company’s Miltenyi Biotec Cell Therapy Centre of Excellence was officially launched at the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP) last week.

"Specifically designed to underpin clinical translation of cell therapies and regenerative medicine, the establishment of the Cell Therapies Platform is a major new initiative within the precinct," said Professor Graham Jenkin of Monash University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Deputy Director of The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research.

"We've built this Platform in response to the under-supply of affordable cleanroom facilities in Victoria for clinical translation of our research, particularly for the manufacture of biologicals."  

The facility will host a Biospherix Xivo GMP cell isolator, a state of the art, MACSQuant® Tyto™ GMP Cell Sorter and a multipurpose GenSim, Bioscaffolder/Bioprinter with stem cell bioprinting capability.

"The Cell Therapies Platform will play a vital role in accelerating translational research leading to the development of new treatments for diseases such as Bronchopulmonary dysplasia of the premature newborn, cerebral palsy, cancer, and tissue replacement with biomimetic materials.

Professor Jenkin said the Platform offers an integrated, fully contained Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) environment that is a flexible, cost-effective alternative to conventional cleanroom facilities. 

"This will become a core facility of the Victorian Consortium for Cell-based Therapies and will underpin pre-clinical and early phase clinical manufacture of tissues and cells for small to medium scale clinical trials and therapies," said Professor Jenkin.

Miltenyi Biotec, the manufacturer of the GMP Gradde cell sorter, has granted prestigious Early Adopter Program status to the Cell Therapies Platform for installation and support of the Miltenyi cell sorter and will establish a Miltenyi Biotec Cell Therapy Centre of Excellence within the MHTP to assist and support translation of potential cell therapies to clinical trials.  

The establishment of the Cell Therapies Platform has been made possible by the generous support of Therapeutic Innovations Australia, through the Translating Health Discovery Program of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy Program, The Ian Potter Foundation and Miltenyi Biotec.