Development of Scaffolds for In vitro Culture and Expansion of Functional T cells

T cells are a category of immune cells that help protect the body from infections and can also prevent cancerous development. T cell-based therapy involves isolating T cells from a patient, modifying them to make them stronger and more effective and then returning them to the patient to help fight disease. However, T cells start to die outside of their natural environment. Thus, this thesis focuses on creating a platform (also known as scaffolds) that supports the growth and multiplication of healthy, functional T cells, with the goal of improving treatments for both laboratory research and real-world medical applications.