VirusGEN® and RoosterGEM™, a match made for GMP mRNA transfection

When Mirus first developed TransIT-VirusGEN®, the focus of the product was in the name: transfection for the production of viruses. Specifically, the production of AAV and lentiviral vectors for gene and cell therapies. In 2021, TransIT-VirusGEN® Transfection Reagent became our first offering manufactured with cGMP, opening the door for Mirus to support a litany of processes, including cGMP transfection of primary cells.

Today we wanted to highlight some of the exciting results from Mirus’ ongoing collaboration with RoosterBio that feature TransIT-VirusGEN®.

Earlier this year, RoosterBio presented a poster at ASGCT and ISCT which showcased using TransIT-VirusGEN® for high-efficiency transfection of mRNA into human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) cultured in RoosterGEM™, a genetic engineering medium for optimized viral and non-viral applications.¹ Because VirusGEN® and RoosterGEM are available in GMP formulations, they can be rapidly implemented into clinical manufacturing processes that require highly qualified reagents to ensure utmost consistency and safety. 

The poster, titled “A GMP-Compatible Process for the Efficient Transfection of MSCs with mRNA,” showed that > 80% transfection efficiency was achieved in historically difficult-to-transfect hMSCs by incorporating VirusGEN® and RoosterGEM (Figure 1) into the transfection workflow.

Figure 1. Efficient mRNA transfection of hMSCs using TransIT-VirusGEN® and RoosterGEM. The bone marrow-derived hMSCs (Xeno-free RoosterVial, RoosterBio) were cultured in either RoosterNourish™ or RoosterGEM media during transfection. Per cm2 of the culture dish, 0.2 µg of CleanCap EGFP mRNA (5-methoxyuridine, TriLink Biotechnologies) was transfected with 0.4 µl of TransIT-VirusGEN® Transfection Reagent (Mirus Bio). Representative images of transfected cells from the fluorescence (top) and brightfield-merged (bottom) channels are shown alongside the percentage of GFP+ cells.

The findings of this work were adapted into a user-friendly protocol for transfecting hMSCs with mRNA.

Download the Protocol Here!

We are incredibly excited to see VirusGEN® applied in this way! This not only opens the door for using VirusGEN® to transfect cells directly for modified cell therapies, but also demonstrates VirusGEN® can be used to efficiently transfect mRNA. Our understanding of the capabilities of TransIT-VirusGEN® Transfection Reagent have certainly evolved: from enabling transfection of HEK 293 cells and plasmids to now primary stromal cells and mRNA.

What’s next for VirusGEN®? Do you have a process that requires a cGMP transfection reagent with no licensing? VirusGEN® has your back!