Robotic cell processing facility for clinical research of retinal cell therapy

The consistent production of high-quality cells in cell therapy highlights the potential of automated manufacturing. Humanoid robots are a useful option for transferring technology to automate human cell cultures. This study evaluated a robotic cell-processing facility (R-CPF) for clinical research on retinal cell therapy, incorporating the versatile humanoid robot Maholo LabDroid and an All-in-One CP unit. The R-CPF platform consists of a robot area for handling cells and an operator area for the maintenance of the robot, designed with a clean airflow to ensure sterility. Monitoring the falling, floating, and adhering bacteria demonstrated that the required cleanliness and aseptic environment for cell manufacturing were satisfied. We then conducted cell manufacturing equivalent to the transplantation therapy of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells that met the clinical quality standards for transplantation. These results indicate that R-CPF is suitable for cell manufacturing purposes and suggest that utilizing the same robotic system in basic and clinical research can accelerate the translation of basic research findings into clinical applications.