Joe LaPorte is the chief innovation officer at PHC Corporation of North America. LaPorte has over 30 years of international experience in the field of cold chain management and ultra-low refrigeration in both the engineering and development side. He has served on the Energy Star stakeholder committee for lab grade products and currently serves as a voting member on the NSF committee that defined the American National Standard for vaccine storage.

Joe LaPorte, chief innovation officer at PHC Corporation of North America
Credit: Joe LaPorte
Q: Why is it crucial for labs working in the immunotherapy space to have refrigeration solutions specifically tailored to the unique needs of cell-based therapies like CAR-T?
A: In CAR-T cell therapies, the need for specialized refrigeration is important. These therapies involve the manipulation of sensitive biological materials, such as patient cells and/or proteins, which are susceptible to temperature fluctuations. Temperature storage conditions are critical throughout the therapy process to ensure the viability and functionality of the cells. CAR-T cell therapies require temperatures that prevent the degradation of the cells and preserve the integrity of the therapeutics. For instance, during the critical preservation phase, temperatures must be maintained below -130°C to halt metabolic activity and prevent ice crystal formation which can damage cells. Such tailored refrigeration solutions not only help safeguard the quality and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapies but can also contribute to patient safety by ensuring that these lifesaving treatments have been stored properly for delivery in optimal condition for efficacy and success.
Q: What challenges or pain points do researchers face when working with sensitive biological materials in immunotherapy, specifically concerning storage, and how can these affect their work?
A: Researchers in immunotherapy face several challenges when dealing with sensitive biological materials, particularly regarding storage. These materials are very sensitive to temperature changes and environmental conditions. It's crucial to maintain the right storage temperatures because even slight variations can lead to cell damage and affect the results of experiments.
One major issue is the risk of equipment failure. If a freezer or refrigerator breaks down, it can result in the loss of important samples, which can delay research and pose risks to patient safety. Additionally, managing these materials requires careful planning and constant monitoring, which can be resource-intensive.
Another major issue is if these materials aren’t stored within proper temperature ranges, it can have serious consequences for research outcomes. For example, if CAR-T cells are not kept within their prescribed temperature conditions, their effectiveness could be compromised, leading to ineffective treatments. This not only affects individual patients but can also slow down the overall progress in immunotherapy research.
To tackle these challenges, it’s essential to use advanced refrigeration solutions and implement strict monitoring protocols to ensure the integrity of biological materials and the success of immunotherapy efforts.
Q: What are the potential impacts on patient outcomes and therapeutic efficacy if research materials are not stored properly during the development of immunotherapies?
A: Improper storage of research materials during the development of immunotherapies can negatively affect patient outcomes and therapeutic efficacy. When sensitive biological materials are not stored at the correct temperatures, their viability and functionality may be compromised, leading to several critical issues:
- Reduced efficacy: If materials used in therapies like CAR-T cells degrade, the treatments may not work as intended, resulting in suboptimal patient responses and potential treatment failures.
- Increased adverse effects: Compromised materials can lead to unexpected side effects. If therapeutic agents are ineffective, patients may face risks without receiving the intended benefits.
- Delays in treatment: Loss of valuable samples due to improper storage can delay research timelines, pushing back the availability of new therapies for patients in need.
- Impact on clinical trials: Inconsistent results from improperly stored materials can undermine the reliability of clinical trials, complicating regulatory approvals and hindering the advancement of effective treatments.
Overall, ensuring proper storage of research materials is essential for maintaining the integrity of immunotherapies and achieving positive patient outcomes.
Q: How do the advanced features of modern refrigerators, freezers, and ULTs help protect sample integrity and support the long-term storage needs of immunological research?
A: Advances in technology are allowing us to further define the operation of refrigeration systems to fine-tune their control, which allows for tighter temperature variation control. While ULT solutions are evolving, they allow us to use that technology to monitor performance and focus on areas of equipment operation to preemptively resolve issues before they become problematic from proper chamber design to advanced lab monitoring systems.
Q: What does the future hold for refrigeration technology in supporting advanced therapies, and how can researchers and healthcare providers expect to benefit from further innovations in this area?
A: Development in the market for technologies that will advance environmental stewardship by refrigeration manufacturers is underway at this time. Manufacturers will continue to focus on reducing energy consumption and the use of environmentally friendly refrigerants that are low GWP. Energy reduction will come from a combination of the newly developed refrigerants and methods of harnessing their potential. In addition, technologies that can help operations reallocate their time to more critical needs with the developments around predictive analytics that can help resolve equipment issues before they become problematic.
Q: What excites you most about future directions for refrigeration technologies aimed at CAR-T?
A: Long-term storage of CAR-T cell therapies often relies on cryogenic storage, and the industry commonly relies on liquid nitrogen for this application. However, from an environmental perspective, many are looking at the carbon footprint of maintaining liquid nitrogen systems. Others are looking at it from a cost of ownership perspective around the time and resources required to maintain liquid nitrogen systems. Mechanical cryogenic solutions offer a viable alternative solution for these storage needs, and I look forward to seeing how this development shapes the future of CAR-T cell therapy storage.
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