Lonza has announced it provides a selection of high-resolution human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-typed primary cells spanning all major cell and tissue types. The ready-typed lots will reportedly eliminate the need for in-house sequencing processes and provide drug developers with a tool for the development of personalised therapies.
Nearly 50 different cell types are available from Lonza’s donor inventory, with HLA data derived from next-generation sequencing techniques.
A person’s HLA type is a key determinant of the immune system’s response to foreign substances. HLA data is critical for preclinical exploration of cross-reactivities and off-target drug effects. It’s also needed for the development of engineered biotherapeutic T cell receptors and antibodies, better patient stratification to optimise the clinical effectiveness of cancer therapies, and is fundamental for the development of cancer vaccines.
However, screening cell lots for HLA type can be lengthy and cumbersome to conduct in-house, and there is no guarantee that unscreened purchased lots will be the desired HLA type. Further, many vendors are only able to offer lots with lower-resolution HLA information obtained from serological typing methods, Lonza says, which can lead to incomplete HLA matching and poorer predictivity of in vitromodels as a result. Being able to select lots with the desired high-resolution HLA data thus confidently enables a time- and cost-efficient preclinical development and boosts chances of drug development success.
Having previously offered HLA-typing services to its customers on a custom basis, Lonza is now providing high-resolution HLA information at no additional cost for a selection of its cell lots. With a donor inventory that includes different age groups, genders, and ethnicities, a range of donor cell lots with various HLA types are currently available, including HLA-A2*01.
Aurita Menezes, Global Product Manager, Lonza Bioscience said: "A person’s HLA type is a piece of critical information needed for biologic drug safety research. We are now seeing a surge in demand for HLA-typed primary cells as researchers look to build ever-more predictive preclinical models for their personalized therapies. The resolution with which we type our inventory and the vast choice of ready-typed lots means we’re perfectly positioned to meet that need, facilitating faster and more effective drug development for our customers."
