In vitro cell lysis and adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy are two subjects that may seem unrelated at first glance. However, there is a connection between the two.
Cell lysis refers to the process of breaking down cells, typically for the purpose of releasing their contents, such as proteins, DNA, or other biomolecules. This can be achieved through various methods, including mechanical disruption (for example, high pressure homogenization,) enzymatic digestion, or chemical treatment.
AAV gene therapy, on the other hand, is a type of gene therapy that uses recombinant Adeno-Associated Viruses (AAV) to deliver genes into human cells. AAVs are a type of virus that can infect human cells and integrate their genetic material into the host genome. In gene therapy, AAVs are engineered to carry a therapeutic gene of interest, which is then delivered to target cells.
Now, here's where cell lysis comes into play:
In the production of AAV vectors for gene therapy, cell lysis is a critical step in the manufacturing process.
Here's why:
- AAV production: AAVs are typically produced by cell culture of a host cell. To extract the recombinant AAV particles, the cells must be lysed (cell membranes disrupted or broken down) to release their contents.
- Lysis-mediated purification: Cell lysis allows for the release of AAV particles from the cell lysate, which can then be purified using various techniques, such as density gradient centrifugation, size exclusion chromatography, or immunoadsorption.
- AAV vector purification: Lysis also helps to disrupt the cell membranes and release any contaminating proteins or other impurities that may interfere with the purity and efficacy of the AAV vector.
In summary, cell lysis is an essential step in the production of AAV vectors for gene therapy. It enables the release of AAV particles from cells, facilitates purification steps, and ultimately helps to produce high-quality AAV vectors that can be used to deliver therapeutic genes to target cells.
Pion offers BEE brand (formerly BEE International) homogenizers that are often used in cell lysis applications requiring as little as 15mL of sample. Combining and balancing the forces of shear, impact, and cavitation, BEE homogenizers are fully adjustable to meet your cell disruption needs providing you with high yields in less processing time (results often achieved in a single pass) while preserving the intracellular biomolecules of interest.
Capable of lysing a wide variety of cell types from bacterial cells to hard-to-disrupt yeast cell, results from BEE homogenizers are reproducible and scalable. Conforming to all cGMP requirements, BEE homogenizers are easy to use, can be reconfigured to optimize different applications, easy to clean which leads to lower maintenance requirements and since the patented emulsifying cell (EC) is modular, parts may be easily replaced as they wear, leading to greatly reduced maintenance costs.
Contact us today to learn more about our BEE brand homogenizers for cell lysis.
