Baizensel Participates in National Project to Establish Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Isolation and Storage System

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] VigenCell announced on the 9th that it will participate as a commissioned research institution for two years in the national project 'Industry-Academia-Research Vaccine Development Support Project' using its peripheral blood mononuclear cell isolation and storage system.

The Industry-Academia-Research Vaccine Development Support Project is a national initiative aimed at promoting vaccine commercialization and securing the value chain. It is supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and overseen by the Osong Advanced Medical Industry Promotion Foundation (KBIOHealth) New Drug Development Support Center.

In this national project, VigenCell will carry out the task of "Establishing an ultra-low temperature cryopreservation system for standardization of human blood-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples" until the end of 2023. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells are a type of blood-derived immune cell and are considered one of the key raw materials in vaccine research and development.

VigenCell explained that the reasons for its selection include Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for securing human peripheral blood samples, acquisition of research equipment and specialized personnel for immune cell isolation, and possession of various immunogenetic analysis technologies and experience.

The goal of this research and development task is to establish a foundation for securing a large quantity of immune cells with various HLA (human leukocyte antigen) gene types as standard samples by collecting blood from healthy subjects through leukocyte fractionation, isolating peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and storing them in an ultra-low temperature frozen state to maintain stable quality.

According to VigenCell, by establishing a system for isolation, analysis, storage, and supply of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells through this research, stable cell quality can be maintained even after isolation, enabling improved safety and efficiency. It is also expected to help shorten the research and development period of cell therapies in various fields in the future.

Son Hyun-jung, head of the VigenCell V-Tier Platform Group, said, "VigenCell possesses high-quality cell quality and know-how through extensive experience in extracting and storing peripheral blood mononuclear cells from leukapheresis blood." He added, "We will successfully carry out the research project to contribute to enhancing national bio-competitiveness and lay the foundation for promoting the peripheral blood mononuclear cell banking business in the future."