Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41979868›Full record

ArticleAnnals of biomedical engineering2026

Scaling-Up Vertical-Wheel Bioreactors Based on Cell Aggregate Exposure to Shear Stress and Energy Dissipation Rate.

Julia E S Bauer, Faisal J Alibhai, Pouyan Vatani, David A Romero, Michael A Laflamme, Cristina H Amon

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Article in Annals of biomedical engineering, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Julia E S BauerDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Faisal J AlibhaiMcEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, MaRS Centre, Toronto, Canada.
Pouyan VataniDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
David A RomeroDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Michael A LaflammeMcEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, MaRS Centre, Toronto, Canada.
Cristina H AmonDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. cristina.amon@utoronto.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4314-8120

Funding

Canada Excellence Research Chairs, Government of Canada CRC-2020-00245New Frontiers in Research Fund NFRFT-2020-00787New Frontiers in Research Fund NFRFT-2022-00447
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeLarge quantities of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are required for clinical applications. 3D suspension cultures are suitable for large-scale manufacturing of hPSCs but yield, viability, and quality are affected by the hydrodynamic environment. This paper characterizes the hydrodynamic environment inside vertical-wheel bioreactors (VWBRs) as a function of size and agitation rates, measures its effect on cell aggregation and proliferation, and proposes the use of Lagrangian-based shear stress and energy dissipation rate (EDR) exposures to support scale-up.

methodsIn silico: Transient, 3D, turbulent flow simulations are conducted for two VWBR sizes (100, 500 mL) at five agitation rates between 20 and 80 rpm. Trajectories of cell aggregates of sizes from 200 to 1,000 microns are calculated, and shear stress and EDR exposures are collected along these trajectories. In vitro: ESI-017 hPSCs were cultured in VWBRs for 6 days. Aggregation efficiency and daily fold ratios were calculated based on cell counts and initial inoculation density.

resultsAggregate size, agitation rate, and bioreactor size modulate cell aggregate exposures to EDR and shear stress, which significantly depart from maximum or volume average metrics used for scale-up. Combined in vitro/in silico results show EDR affects aggregation efficiency, cell counts, and aggregate size, and has a small effect on daily fold ratios but a significant effect on total fold ratio.

conclusionHistory of trajectory-based cell aggregate exposures to EDRs provides a better scale-up basis for VWBRs than volume-averaged EDR. Shear stress does not significantly affect hPSC aggregation, proliferation and expansion in VWBRs under the tested conditions.

Indexed as

Cell proliferationEnergy dissipation rateIn silicoPluripotent Stem Cells (PSCs)Shear stressVertical-wheel bioreactor

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.