Kuhner TOM Adherent: An innovative and cost-effective tool for real-time metabolic assessment of adherently growing (stem) cells (K-TOM)

Cell therapeutics, a rapidly expanding treatment category involving the administration of viable cells (such as stem cells), hold the promise of revolutionary approaches for treating a wide range of conditions, including cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. These biopharmaceuticals often rely on adherently growing cells, yet the development of these therapies is hindered by the lack of suitable analytical devices. Namely, traditional off-gas analysis systems, which are well-established for measuring the metabolic activity of suspension cells in real-time, cannot be applied to adherent cell cultures, resulting in the need for costly and labor-intensive manual sampling.

Adolf Kuhner AG has already developed an off-gas analyzer optimized for suspension cells cultivated in shake flasks. However, applying this technology to work with cultivation systems suitable for adherent cells necessitates substantial scientific and technological advancements. The cultivation flasks need to be connected to the sensing hardware in a completely gas-tight manner, requiring the development of specialized lids. Additionally, the resolution of the analyzer must be improved by a factor of 10 due to the low metabolic activity of adherent cells. This challenge will be approached from several angles which include minimization of environmental influences, improvement of data collection and processing (software) and optimizing hardware (tubing material, sensors, flask lids).

The Kuhner TOM Adherent will be a game changer as it will finally allow industry and research facilities working with adherent cells to make use of a powerful off-gas analyzer. As the sole provider of such a system, Adolf Kuhner AG will be able to increase its share in the analytical device market substantially. This and the know-how gain for both partners will contribute to the fortification of Switzerland's position as a global leader in the biopharmaceutical and medtech sectors.