Overview

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are emerging as a critical tool in the development of next-generation immunotherapies. They enable the scalable and renewable generation of engineered immune cells, including T cells, NK cells, and macrophages, with potential for allogeneic, off-the-shelf applications. iPSCs also support disease modeling and target validation in immuno-oncology research.

Why Use iPSCs in Immuno-Oncology?

iPSCs provide a renewable source for producing genetically modified immune cells tailored for cancer immunotherapy. Unlike primary immune cells, iPSCs can be expanded indefinitely and genetically edited with high efficiency. This capability enables the creation of homogeneous populations of CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells, and other engineered immune effectors for both research and therapeutic applications.

Current Challenges

Generating functional immune cells from iPSCs requires complex differentiation protocols, and ensuring the consistency and cytotoxic potency of these cells remains challenging. Additionally, existing immune cell sources are limited in scalability and standardization, which hinders broad application in both personalized and off-the-shelf cell therapies.

How Defined Bioscience Can Help

Defined Bioscience provides high-quality, defined, animal-free media that streamline the production of iPSC-derived immune cells. HiDef-B8 supports robust pluripotent stem cell expansion, while Ready-CEPT improves viability and clonal outgrowth. HiDef-S8 (currently available in early access) is designed for high-density, suspension-based expansion workflows—ideal for scaling production of immune precursors. These products offer consistency, reduce variability, and support scalable workflows essential for immuno-oncology applications.

Relevant Application Notes

• High-Density Pluripotent Stem Cell Expansion in a Single-Use Bioreactor Using HiDef® S8: Demonstrates how HiDef-S8 supports large-scale, suspension-based expansion of hPSCs, ideal for immune cell manufacturing workflows such as CAR-NK and CAR-T development.
• Isolating Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using WOLF G2 Cell Sorter: Demonstrates the enrichment of high-purity iPSC populations suitable for downstream immune differentiation.
• Optimized Expansion, Cryopreservation, and Recovery of Clinical Grade, PluriBank™ iPSCs : Validates a fully defined system using HiDef-B8 and Ready-CEPT for clinical-grade iPSC expansion and cryopreservation

Key Defined Bioscience Products for Immuno-Oncology

• HiDef-B8: Complete, serum-free, defined media ideal for maintaining pluripotency and efficient differentiation.
  
  
• Ready-CEPT: Optimized supplement promoting enhanced viability and functional capability in various cell types.
  
  
• HiDef PBS/EDTA: Defined phosphate-buffered saline solution for gentle cell dissociation.
  
  
• HiDef N-2: Defined neural supplement to support robust neural differentiation.
  
  
• HiDef-ITS: Defined insulin-transferrin-selenium supplement to enhance proliferation efficiency and cell viability.
  
  
• HiDef-S8 (Early Access): Suspension medium optimized for high-density, carrier-free expansion of hPSCs, suitable for scalable immune cell manufacturing.

Contact and Collaboration Opportunities

Defined Bioscience is actively collaborating with academic labs and biotech companies advancing iPSC-derived immune therapies. Contact us to explore opportunities for workflow optimization, product development, and co-publication.

Email: info@definedbioscience.com 

By incorporating Defined Bioscience’s defined reagents, researchers and developers can advance scalable, cost-effective, and clinically relevant iPSC-based immunotherapies.