Patent ID: 7572631

Claim:
A method for expanding a population of T cells from a B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) patient by cell surface moiety ligation, comprising: a. selecting a patient having B-CLL; b. providing a population of cells from the patient wherein at least a portion thereof comprises T cells; c. contacting said population of cells for about two hours with a surface, wherein said surface is a surface of a paramagnetic particle and wherein said surface has attached thereto a first agent that ligates a TCR/CD3 complex of a T cell in said population of cells, and a second agent that ligates a CD28 accessory molecule of said T cell; d. applying a magnetic force that predominantly drives simultaneous T cell concentration and ligation of the TCR/CD3 complex and the CD28 accessory molecule of said T cells; e. seeding said population of cells at a concentration of between about 0.2×10 6 and 5.0 ×10 6 cells/ml in a closed system comprising a disposable bioreactor bag comprising at least one inlet filter and one outlet filter and further contacting said T cells with said surface; f. perfusing medium through said closed system at about 1 ml/minute staffing at about day 8; g. rocking said bioreactor bag on a rocking platform at about 5-15 rocks/minute; and wherein said T cells expand to a concentration of about between 15 ×10 6 cells/ml to about 50×10 6 cells/ml in less than about two weeks.