Market Assessment for smart multifunctional microcarriers

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The global market for cell therapy has been extensively grown over the past decade due to the rising global prevalence of cancer, growing awareness regarding cell therapies, and increasing government funding cell studies. However, a major barrier against the wide application of cell therapy is the cost associated with producing billions of functional cells using traditional culture platforms. Using microcarriers for large-scale cell production has been recently emerged as a promising approach to overcome the limitations of traditional cell culture systems, however, challenges associated with high stiffnesses that are different from the soft tissues in vivo and hinders cell expansion on their surfaces, the need enzymes to detach cells from the surface; a process that can damage surface proteins, cell phenotype, and function, low overall cell yield after harvesting. We have recently developed patented smart multifunctional microcarriers that have tunable mechanical properties that can be adjusted to match the stiffness that is suitable for growing different cells. Additionally, these microcarriers can be loaded with drugs or oxygen-releasing compounds to deliver bioactive molecules and oxygen to the cell surface. The ability to change the hydrophobicity of the microcarriers by temperature enables enzyme-free cell harvesting, which in return can reduce the adverse effects of enzymatic cell harvesting and will provide cells with higher quality and function. In this I2I application, we propose to support the commercialization of our multifunctional microcarriers through a comprehensive market assessment to a) estimate the market size, b) understand the market dynamics, c) probe for the end-users' and content experts' interest in buying and licensing this technology, and d) conduct a thorough competitive analysis. To meet these objectives, an external consultant will be hired to undertake primary and secondary market research followed by a survey. The final MA report from the consultant will highlight the SWOT analysis, market size, competitive analysis, barriers to market entry, results of the survey, and recommendations. The outcomes of this project essential for the commercialization of this technology.