Overview
The Emory Cellular and Immunotherapy Core (ExCITE) is a clinical cell manufacturing facility that prepares cell and immunotherapy products under current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for the development of investigational new drugs and diagnostics methods.
Our central mission is to provide GMP-compliant cell manufacturing and/or consultation for the translational of Emory-based or external research collaborations into early phase clinical trials.
The Emory Cellular and Immunotherapy Core is a developing Winship Shared Resources and is one of the Emory Integrated Core Facilities.
We have a dedicated office (T4L64) on the same floor as our laboratory space on the fourth floor of the Emory University Hospital tower, which provides for computational services, meeting customers and team meetings. Additionally, we have meeting rooms available in Winship's Shared Resource Hub on the third floor of Emory Clinic B.
Services and Equipment
The types of products routinely handled include:
- autologous and allogeneic mesenchymal cells
- apheresis cell products for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) transduction
- labeling allogenic red blood cells (RBCS)
- autologous dendritic cell fusions
- cardiomyocyte manipulation for pediatric use
- cellular products from external companies
Standard processes performed include isolation, expansion, and cryopreservation of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells, dendritic cells, transduction and or transfection of lymphocytes and other cellular products for investigational new FDA-sanctioned studies.
The Emory Cellular and Immunotherapy Core is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy for more than minimally manipulated cellular therapy products as well as College of Pathologist certification.
Equipment located within our space includes:
- four laminar flow hoods (Nuaire)
- eight CO2 incubators
- two swinging bucket temperature-controlled centrifuges
- a suite of Miltenyi CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) production equipment (MACSQuant, Prodigy)
- mycoplasma and endotoxin detection
- an ISBT label printer and computer equipment as needed
Future plans are in place to double the lab's capacity with the addition of another two iSO7 rooms.
Service Request
For assistance, please complete and submit a request form on the PPMS service request system.
Contact Information
Keith Kerstann, PhD, Director
Email | Office phone: (404) 251-5319
Publication Acknowledgement Policy
The National Cancer Institute requires that publications acknowledge the Winship Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG), and it is tracking compliance. If a Winship Cancer Institute CCSG-supported Shared Resource provided data, designed the study, performed analyses, provided results used in your publication, and/or provided any systems or services that were used for the work that resulted in your publication, please include the following statement in the acknowledgment section of your publication(s):
Research reported in this publication was supported in part by the Emory Cellular and Immunotherapy Core of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and NIH/NCI under award number P30CA138292. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Core Director
Keith Kerstann, PhD
- Core Director
- Emory Cellular and Immunotherapy Core
Dr. Kerstann is a molecular biologist and medical affairs professional interested in advancing novel therapeutics and targeted therapy development.