Where cellular therapies are made
Acıbadem LabCell is the group's cellular therapy laboratory and stem cell bank: a Ministry of Health-licensed, cGMP-grade facility that prepares stem cell grafts, immune cell products and engineered cells for Acıbadem hospitals and other licensed centres in Turkey.
- 2003founded as cord blood bank
- 2011Ministry of Health production licence
- A–DcGMP clean-room grades
- 30 yrswitness sample archive
Acıbadem LabCell began in 2003 as the Acıbadem Cord Blood Bank and has since expanded into the preparation and storage of peripheral-blood and bone-marrow-derived stem cells and the manufacture of cellular therapy products. As the supplier of numerous cellular therapy products licensed for production by the Turkish Ministry of Health, it offers up-to-date treatment options to every healthcare institution in the country, including public universities. All therapeutic products are manufactured in its cGMP-certified laboratories. With an advanced R&D infrastructure, Acıbadem LabCell is Türkiye's pioneering laboratory in cellular therapies, immunotherapy (cancer vaccines in particular) and stem cell research.
- Operating since 2003; Türkiye's largest stem cell bank by its own account
- Ministry of Health production licence for cellular therapy products since January 2011
- cGMP clean rooms, Grade A-in-B for open processing, Grade D for banking
- Five product families: transplant grafts, immune cells, tissue engineering, gene-engineered cells and perinatal tissue
- Seven release tests on every batch; witness samples archived for 30 years
- Storage at −196 °C in liquid nitrogen with ISBT 128 labelling
From your blood to a living drug
How a CAR-T product is made for one patient. Every step happens inside the LabCell facility, under the haematology team's protocol.
- 01Apheresis
Your blood is drawn and T cells are separated in a 3–4 hour session. The rest is returned to you.
- 02Activation
In the clean room the T cells are woken up and prepared to accept new genetic instructions.
- 03Gene transfer
A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is introduced so the cells recognise the tumour antigen, e.g. CD19.
- 04Expansion
Cells multiply for about two weeks in cGMP-grade culture, monitored daily.
- 05Release testing
Seven tests on the batch. A witness sample is archived for 30 years.
- 06Infusion
The living drug is given back in the haematology unit; you are followed for two years.
What LabCell manufactures
Cellular products prepared for Acıbadem hospitals and other licensed centres in Turkey, released only after the full quality panel.
Cellular products prepared for stem cell transplant units, used in the treatment of cancers and certain genetic diseases.
Cellular products prepared primarily for haematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant centres.
Cellular products prepared for regenerative medicine centres.
CAR-T and CAR-NK92 cell products listed in LabCell's development portfolio. Availability for a given patient is confirmed by the haematology team.
Amniotic membrane (name only on site) – typically used as a biological dressing/graft in ophthalmology and wound care.
Alongside cord blood banking, LabCell offers storage of adult stem cells for people who may need them later.
For projects in cellular therapy and organ regeneration, LabCell works under contract with investigators at every stage: study design, execution, data analysis and interpretation, statistics, and even writing up the manuscript or thesis. It has the infrastructure and team to design the research and manufacturing steps needed to carry translational products into the clinic.
A dedicated R&D unit researches improvements to existing products and the product range that may be requested in future.
Four grades, one direction: cleaner
Air, surfaces and people move from Grade D towards Grade A. Open handling of cells only ever happens under Grade A air inside a Grade B room.
Seven release tests on every batch
Nothing leaves the facility until every test is passed. A witness sample of each batch is kept for 30 years.
- Viability & purityCell count, viability and purity of every product before release.
- ImmunophenotypingFlow cytometry confirms the cell population matches the product specification.
- Sterility & pyrogenicityMicrobiological and endotoxin testing on each batch.
- Tumorigenicity & stabilitySafety testing plus stability over the product's shelf life.
- 30-year witness sampleA reference sample of every batch is archived for three decades.
- 2-year patient follow-upEach administered product is followed up for two years.
+Facility details
- Facility layout — The facility has two parts: the production and banking area, and support areas. The production and banking area is designed to cGMP standards with classified clean-room…
- Clean-room grades used in manufacturing — All open-system processing is done in a Grade A laminar-flow cabinet inside a Grade B room; closed-system processing is done in at least Grade C rooms;…
- HVAC — Pressures, pressure differentials, air-flow velocities, temperature and humidity in classified areas are monitored automatically and manually at intervals set by the standard. (HVAC certificates 2010-11, 2011-12,…
- Power — The whole building is backed by generator and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems.
- Equipment — All equipment must carry CE and/or TSE marking and is maintained and calibrated at regular, documented intervals. Special equipment allowing cell manufacturing under hypoxic (low-oxygen) conditions…
- Validation — All equipment undergoes DQ / IQ / OQ / PQ qualification at installation.
- Cleaning and sanitation — Performed at defined frequencies by specially trained staff and recorded daily.
- IT infrastructure and labelling — Runs on the Acıbadem Healthcare Group network; a purpose-built labelling and software system with security and confidentiality as priorities automates the process. Products are labelled with…
From cord blood bank to cGMP manufacturer
LabCell is founded (April 2003), with Ministry of Health knowledge, to meet demand for autologous cord blood storage.
First cord blood unit stored (June 2003).
Begins processing autologous bone marrow cells, contributing to early cardiac stem cell therapy studies (August 2003).
Starts uninterrupted processing, freezing, storage and thawing of autologous peripheral-blood stem cells for transplant (October 2003).
Adult stem cell banking service organised on the back of five years of cord blood experience.
Relocated to the Acıbadem Healthcare headquarters building; decides to add cellular therapy manufacturing to its banking activity and rebuilds organisation, staff and lab infrastructure into a modern cell laboratory (January 2010).
First Ministry of Health GMP inspection (18 October 2010).
Second on-site GMP inspection (19-20 Jan 2011); Cord Blood Bank operating approval issued (20 Jan 2011); Ministry of Health production licence granted (25 Jan 2011) – making LabCell a licensed cellular therapy manufacturing facility.
Annual HVAC/clean-room certifications posted for 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Site still live in 2026 (© 2026); portfolio lists CAR-T and CAR-NK92 among gene-engineered products; 23 years of operation.
Papers that make it a medicine, not a lab experiment
Every product released by LabCell rests on these licences and certifications.
Haematology trials at Acıbadem
Send your reports and get a plan from a tumour board, not a single doctor
Pathology, imaging and previous treatment history are enough to start. Written recommendation within 48 hours, including trial eligibility.