Sekisui Chemical and PHC, a subsidiary of PHC Holdings, have announced good results in establishing a large-scale MSC cultivation process. The companies successfully scaled up to a culture medium volume of approximately 1 liter by combining an automated cell culture system with a microcarrier.
Sekisui Chemical and PHC, a subsidiary of PHC Holdings, announced on 6 October 2026 that they had achieved good results in a joint demonstration aimed at establishing a large-scale cultivation process for mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC). A stable supply of cells is essential for the widespread adoption of regenerative medicine, and the companies confirmed the effectiveness of a new manufacturing method combining their materials and automated control technologies. With approvals for regenerative medicine products following one after another in 2026, the year has seen growing demand for lower manufacturing costs.
In the demonstration, PHC's LiCellGrow automated cell culture system, launched in March 2026, was combined with Sekisui Chemical's Ceglu microcarrier. Glucose and lactate concentrations in the culture medium were monitored in real time, and the medium was automatically exchanged to maintain optimal conditions. The microcarrier is designed to suppress shear stress caused by agitation and enable MSCs to proliferate under gentle fluid flow.
The demonstration successfully scaled up to a culture medium volume of approximately 1 liter while maintaining the high proliferation rate and quality achieved at smaller scale. The results provide a path toward establishing a stable manufacturing process through automated control and are considered highly feasible.
The companies will now work toward commercialising the large-scale cultivation process based on the findings. PHC has indicated plans to expand commercial manufacturing partnerships for advanced cell and gene therapies, including CAR-T cell therapy, while Sekisui Chemical will promote global expansion by applying its microcarrier to other culture systems. Detailed results are scheduled to be presented at the main conference in March 2027, and the technology is also scheduled to be featured at BioJapan 2026.