Generation of Current Good Manufacturing Practices-Grade Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Using Automated Bioreactors

Interest in Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP)-grade extracellular vesicles (EVs) is expanding. Some obstacles in this new but rapidly growing field include a lack of standardization and scalability. This review focuses on automated biomanufacturing of EVs in conditioned media collected from cultured mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Different automated cell culture systems are discussed, including factors affecting EV quantity and quality, isolating EVs manufactured in an automated system, and validations needed. The ultimate goal when manufacturing cGMP-grade EVs is to identify a specific application and characterize the EV population in detail. This is achieved by validating every step of the process, choosing appropriate release criteria, and assuring batch-to-batch consistency. Due to the lack of standards in the field, it is critical to ensure that the cGMP-grade EVs meet FDA standards pertaining to identity, reproducibility, sterility, safety, purity, and potency. A closed-system automated bioreactor can be a valuable tool to generate cGMP-EVs in a scalable, economical, and reproducible manner.