Vector and Cellular Facility

Advancing Cancer Treatment and Research

MetroHealth’s state-of-the-art vector and cellular facility enables quick, reliable production and processing of the latest cutting-edge cellular immunotherapies, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cancer therapies. With this facility, MetroHealth is the first safety-net hospital in the United States to offer in-house viral vector and cellular production for a wide spectrum of medical treatments.

 

What does this mean for MetroHealth patients?

For people with certain diseases, such as blood cancers, CAR-T and TIL therapies can use the body’s own immune system to help fight cancer.

  • CAR-T therapy is a type of immunotherapy that modifies and trains your T-cells in a laboratory to target specific cancer cells. The CAR-T cells are then infused back into your body to identify and destroy specific cancer cells.
  • TIL therapy is a type of immunotherapy that identifies special cells in your body that can find and destroy cancer (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes). These cells are removed and duplicated, then infused back into your body to seek out cancer and destroy it.

At MetroHealth, we can develop these therapies on-site – avoiding long wait times and supply chain issues that occur when relying on commercial facilities. This also allows us to partner with the people who are leading clinical trials, bringing the latest investigational therapies to patients at MetroHealth.

 

Staffed by trained researchers and oncologists and led by prominent MetroHealth leaders, the Vector and Cellular Facility offers an FDA Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant clean lab, as well as supportive production and storage spaces.

This includes:

  • 3 ISO Class 7 production suites with ISO Class 8 support areas, plasmid production, and QC/OC areas
  • Unidirectional flow of personnel and materials for multi-suite labs
  • Integrated 24/7 Automated Particle Measuring System
  • Integrated 24/7 Automated Essential Equipment Monitoring System
  • Uninterrupted power supply and emergency power systems
  • Independent CO2 and N2 gas supply with automated backup
  • Dual Independent HVAC system with redundant fan design
  • Independent Controlled Access System
  • In-house Testing for Comprehensive Quality Control

 

Doctors collaborating in the Vector Laboratory

Let’s Collaborate

If you’re working with an institution in need of a viral vector for clinical research, email us at [email protected].

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The MetroHealth Cancer Institute is accredited by The Commission on Cancer and The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.

Both accreditations are through the American College of Surgeons and reflect our team’s high level of expertise and quality care.

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