Research Groups

Bioprocessing for advanced cell therapies

Our research focuses on optimising bioprocesses for the manufacture of advanced therapies, with a translational approach aimed at clinical application. We work primarily with mesenchymal cells derived from bone marrow and umbilical cord for tissue regeneration applications.

Our main research lines include the selection, purification and characterisation of starting materials, as well as the scale-up of manufacturing processes using bioreactor systems to obtain clinically relevant cell quantities. In parallel, we develop innovative technologies in the field of tissue engineering, while ensuring that all processes comply with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.

Members

Cap de grup Joaquim Vives Armengol

Sara Marquina Sierra

Raquel Güell Alonso

Ana Ayala Pérez

Raquel Cabrera Pérez

Mercedes Crespo Hereu

Júlia Falcó Fusté

Lia Brosa Beroy

Laia Martí Melero

Projects

Principal Investigator: Joaquim Vives Armengol

Translation of an allogeneic tissue-engineered product for the treatment of focal articular cartilage lesions

Funding organisation
File: PI22/01906
Duration: 2023 – 2027

Principal Investigator: Joaquim Vives Armengol

GALVANO: Optimisation, Validation and Exploitation of a versatile GMP-Grade Extracellular Vesicles Manufacturing Platform for Clinical Application using Process Analytical Technology

Funding organisation
File: CPP2023-010430
Duration: 2024 - 2027

Principal Investigator: Joaquim Vives Armengol

Fibrin Sealant Grifols as scaffold in advanced therapies. 3D printing scaffolds for advanced trauma applications. In vivo study

Funding organisation
File: I.2016.035
Duration: 2017 – 2026

Principal Investigator: Joaquim Vives Armengol

Design and validation of a platform for the production of mesenchymal cells derived from pluripotent cells with genetic characteristics of therapeutic interest and their scaling up in a bioreactor for clinical use

Funding organisation
File: I.2023.027
Duration: 2023 – 2026

Principal Investigator: Angel Raya Chamorro (Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute), Joaquim Vives Armengol (BST)

Advancing the clinical translation of iPSC-based cell therapies for heart failure

Funding organisation
File: 268/U/2023
Duration: 2024 – 2027

Principal Investigator: Manuel Moyano Cudinach (Tecnic Biotech), Joaquim Vives Armengol (BST)

Design and development of the new eLAB MULTI SU bioreactor

Funding organisation
File: CPP 6/2023AB
Duration: 2024 – 2026

Principal Investigator: Joaquim Vives Armengol, Raquel Cabrera Pérez

FLUENTCELLS. Disinformation and malpractice in advanced cell therapy: ethical challenges for effective and appropriate communication with patients, healthcare professionals, and regulators

Funding organisation
File: I.2025.037
Duration: 2025 – 2026

Principal Investigator: Joaquim Vives Armengol

BTCs4ATMP: European network of SOHO establishments for rapid and sustainable access to ATMPs

Funding organisation
File: CA24114
Duration: 2025 – 2029

Principal Investigator: Joaquim Vives Armengol

Intercontinental health alliance to develop high impact sustainable educational programmes on quality management in transfusion medicine to enhance accessibility and safety of blood components

Funding organisation
File: 101235226
Duration: 2023 – 2026

Principal Investigator: Joaquim Vives Armengol

TRANSMED: Asian Health Alliance: Developing High impact sustainable educational programmes for Transfusion Medicine professionals for safe blood donation and supply

Funding organisation
File: 101082992
Duration: 2025 – 2028

Publications

2025
Preclinical Assessment in Juvenile Sheep of an Allogeneic Bone Tissue Engineering Product with Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.
2025
Immunocompatibility in transplantation: adapting to a changing therapeutic landscape.
2024
Current challenges in cell and gene therapy: a joint view from the European Committee of the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) and the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
2024
Mesenchymal stromal cells in the treatment of pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation-related complications (graft vs. host disease, hemorrhagic cystitis, graft failure and poor graft function): a single center experience.
2024
Comparability exercise of critical quality attributes of clinical-grade human mesenchymal stromal cells from the Wharton's jelly: single-use stirred tank bioreactors versus planar culture systems.
2024
Identification of critical process parameters for expansion of clinical grade human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in stirred-tank bioreactors.
2024
Treatment of non-hypertrophic pseudoarthrosis of long bones with a Tissue Engineered Product loaded with autologous bone marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Results from a phase IIa, prospective, randomized, parallel, pilot clinical trial comparing to iliac crest autograft.
2024
Implantation of a double allogeneic human engineered tissue graft on damaged heart: insights from the PERISCOPE phase I clinical trial.
2023
Potency Assays: The 'Bugaboo' of Stem Cell Therapy.
2023
Illustrative Potency Assay Examples from Approved Therapies.
2023
Cell and gene therapy workforce development: the role of the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) in the creation of a sustainable and skilled workforce in Europe.
2023
Optimized reagents for immunopotency assays on mesenchymal stromal cells for clinical use.
2023
Preservation of critical quality attributes of mesenchymal stromal cells in 3D bioprinted structures by using natural hydrogel scaffolds.
2023
Analysis of key indicators of research, development, and innovation in blood establishments and their impact on the delivery of improved quality Health products and services.
2023
Comparability exercise of critical quality attributes of clinical-grade human mesenchymal stromal cells from the Wharton's jelly: single-use stirred tank bioreactors versus planar culture systems.
2023
A management model in blood, tissue and cell establishments to ensure rapid and sustainable patient access to advanced therapy medicinal products in Europe.
2023
Human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells promote bone formation in immunodeficient mice when administered into a bone microenvironment.
2022
The Quality Management Ecosystem in Cell Therapy in Catalonia (Spain): An Opportunity for Integrating Standards and Streamlining Quality Compliance.
2022
Preclinical Development of a Therapy for Chronic Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Rats Using Human Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Proof of Concept and Regulatory Compliance.
2022
Optimisation of processing methods to improve success in the derivation of human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells from cryopreserved umbilical cord tissue fragments.
2022
Compliance in Non-Clinical Development of Cell-, Gene-, and Tissue-Based Medicines: Good Practice for Better Therapies.
2022
A hub-and-spoke model to deliver effective access to chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in a public health network: the Catalan Blood and Tissue Bank experience.
2021
Chapter 18. Risk management. In: Quality Management and Accreditation in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The EBMT QM Handbook
2021
Clinical effects of intrathecal administration of expanded Wharton jelly mesenchymal stromal cells in patients with chronic complete spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled study.
2021
Advances in translational orthopaedic research with species-specific multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells derived from the umbilical cord.
2021
SARS-COV2/COVID-19 pandemic, first round. Impact, response and lessons learnt on a fully integrated regional blood and tissue bank: a narrative report.
2021
Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Post-Myocardial Infarction Therapeutic Toolkit: An Experienced View.
2021
Transitioning from preclinical evidence to advanced therapy medicinal product: A Spanish experience.
2021
Towards the standardization of methods of tissue processing for the isolation of mesenchymal stromal cells for clinical use.
2021
A pilot study of circulating levels of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 as biomarkers of bone healing in patients with non-hypertrophic pseudoarthrosis of long bones.
2021
Derivation of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Ovine Umbilical Cord Wharton's Jelly.

Theses

Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Microcarrier Technology: a Stem Cell Drug for Osteal Application
Característiques rellevants de les WJ-MSC per al seu ús en malalties del sistema immune
Impacte de la disparitat en HLA en la funcionalitat de productes ossis d’enginyeria tissular basats en cèl·lules mesenquimals
Bioengineered immunocompatible cell-based constructs for bone regeneration
Utilització de les cèl·lules mare mesenquimals de la gelatina de Wharton en productes d’enginyeria tissular per a regeneració òssia i condral

Bioprocessing for advanced cell therapies

Members

Cap de grup Joaquim Vives Armengol

Sara Marquina Sierra

Raquel Güell Alonso

Ana Ayala Pérez

Raquel Cabrera Pérez

Mercedes Crespo Hereu

Júlia Falcó Fusté

Lia Brosa Beroy

Laia Martí Melero

Projects

Translation of an allogeneic tissue-engineered product for the treatment of focal articular cartilage lesions

GALVANO: Optimisation, Validation and Exploitation of a versatile GMP-Grade Extracellular Vesicles Manufacturing Platform for Clinical Application using Process Analytical Technology

Fibrin Sealant Grifols as scaffold in advanced therapies. 3D printing scaffolds for advanced trauma applications. In vivo study

Design and validation of a platform for the production of mesenchymal cells derived from pluripotent cells with genetic characteristics of therapeutic interest and their scaling up in a bioreactor for clinical use

Advancing the clinical translation of iPSC-based cell therapies for heart failure

Design and development of the new eLAB MULTI SU bioreactor

FLUENTCELLS. Disinformation and malpractice in advanced cell therapy: ethical challenges for effective and appropriate communication with patients, healthcare professionals, and regulators

BTCs4ATMP: European network of SOHO establishments for rapid and sustainable access to ATMPs

Intercontinental health alliance to develop high impact sustainable educational programmes on quality management in transfusion medicine to enhance accessibility and safety of blood components

TRANSMED: Asian Health Alliance: Developing High impact sustainable educational programmes for Transfusion Medicine professionals for safe blood donation and supply

Publications

Preclinical Assessment in Juvenile Sheep of an Allogeneic Bone Tissue Engineering Product with Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

Immunocompatibility in transplantation: adapting to a changing therapeutic landscape.

Current challenges in cell and gene therapy: a joint view from the European Committee of the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) and the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)

Mesenchymal stromal cells in the treatment of pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation-related complications (graft vs. host disease, hemorrhagic cystitis, graft failure and poor graft function): a single center experience.

Comparability exercise of critical quality attributes of clinical-grade human mesenchymal stromal cells from the Wharton's jelly: single-use stirred tank bioreactors versus planar culture systems.

Identification of critical process parameters for expansion of clinical grade human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in stirred-tank bioreactors.

Treatment of non-hypertrophic pseudoarthrosis of long bones with a Tissue Engineered Product loaded with autologous bone marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Results from a phase IIa, prospective, randomized, parallel, pilot clinical trial comparing to iliac crest autograft.

Implantation of a double allogeneic human engineered tissue graft on damaged heart: insights from the PERISCOPE phase I clinical trial.

Potency Assays: The 'Bugaboo' of Stem Cell Therapy.

Illustrative Potency Assay Examples from Approved Therapies.

Cell and gene therapy workforce development: the role of the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) in the creation of a sustainable and skilled workforce in Europe.

Optimized reagents for immunopotency assays on mesenchymal stromal cells for clinical use.

Preservation of critical quality attributes of mesenchymal stromal cells in 3D bioprinted structures by using natural hydrogel scaffolds.

Analysis of key indicators of research, development, and innovation in blood establishments and their impact on the delivery of improved quality Health products and services.

Comparability exercise of critical quality attributes of clinical-grade human mesenchymal stromal cells from the Wharton's jelly: single-use stirred tank bioreactors versus planar culture systems.

A management model in blood, tissue and cell establishments to ensure rapid and sustainable patient access to advanced therapy medicinal products in Europe.

Human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells promote bone formation in immunodeficient mice when administered into a bone microenvironment.

The Quality Management Ecosystem in Cell Therapy in Catalonia (Spain): An Opportunity for Integrating Standards and Streamlining Quality Compliance.

Preclinical Development of a Therapy for Chronic Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Rats Using Human Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Proof of Concept and Regulatory Compliance.

Optimisation of processing methods to improve success in the derivation of human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells from cryopreserved umbilical cord tissue fragments.

Compliance in Non-Clinical Development of Cell-, Gene-, and Tissue-Based Medicines: Good Practice for Better Therapies.

A hub-and-spoke model to deliver effective access to chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in a public health network: the Catalan Blood and Tissue Bank experience.

Chapter 18. Risk management. In: Quality Management and Accreditation in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The EBMT QM Handbook

Clinical effects of intrathecal administration of expanded Wharton jelly mesenchymal stromal cells in patients with chronic complete spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled study.

Advances in translational orthopaedic research with species-specific multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells derived from the umbilical cord.

SARS-COV2/COVID-19 pandemic, first round. Impact, response and lessons learnt on a fully integrated regional blood and tissue bank: a narrative report.

Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Post-Myocardial Infarction Therapeutic Toolkit: An Experienced View.

Transitioning from preclinical evidence to advanced therapy medicinal product: A Spanish experience.

Towards the standardization of methods of tissue processing for the isolation of mesenchymal stromal cells for clinical use.

A pilot study of circulating levels of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 as biomarkers of bone healing in patients with non-hypertrophic pseudoarthrosis of long bones.

Derivation of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Ovine Umbilical Cord Wharton's Jelly.

Theses

Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Microcarrier Technology: a Stem Cell Drug for Osteal Application

Característiques rellevants de les WJ-MSC per al seu ús en malalties del sistema immune

Impacte de la disparitat en HLA en la funcionalitat de productes ossis d’enginyeria tissular basats en cèl·lules mesenquimals

Bioengineered immunocompatible cell-based constructs for bone regeneration

Utilització de les cèl·lules mare mesenquimals de la gelatina de Wharton en productes d’enginyeria tissular per a regeneració òssia i condral