Cell Separation Market Assessment, By Product [Instruments, Consumables], By Cell Type [Human Cells, Animal Cells], By Technique [Filtration, Centrifugation, Surface Marker], By Application [Immunology, Cancer Research, Neuroscience, Diagnostics, Others],

Cell Separation Market Assessment, By Product [Instruments, Consumables], By Cell Type [Human Cells, Animal Cells], By Technique [Filtration, Centrifugation, Surface Marker], By Application [Immunology, Cancer Research, Neuroscience, Diagnostics, Others], By End-User [Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies, Research Institutions, Laboratories, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Hospitals, Others] By Region, Opportunities and Forecast, 2017-2031F

Global cell separation market is projected to witness a CAGR of 12.56% during the forecast period 2024-2031, growing from USD 7.48 billion in 2023 to USD 19.28 billion in 2031. The market is anticipated to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to the various applications of the technique in in-vitro diagnostics, design and development of biologics, and therapeutic protein production, among others. Furthermore, increasing investments in stem cell research, due to the growing requirement for regenerative and personalized medicines, are bolstering the cell separation market demand.

The cell separation market growth is also supported by increasing technological advancements and rising research and development activities by key players and leading research institutions. For instance, in 2023, Akadeum Life Sciences announced the preview of their Alerion cell separation system. The device, with the help of Buoyancy Activated Cell Sorting (BACS) microbubble technology, is anticipated to provide a closed system for the separation of T cells from leukopak. The device promises increased cell recovery, decreased incidences of user error, automation of various manual processes, and reduced cell exhaustion.

Increasing Prevalence of Infectious Diseases and Cancer

Due to the increase in incidence of cancer and growing prevalence of infectious diseases in various regions across the globe, a rise in funding for cell-based research is being witnessed. In 2024, 611,720 cancer deaths and 2,001,140 new cancer cases are estimated to occur in the United States alone. Growing emphasis on the provision of personalized medicines to patients, depending upon their medical conditions, is providing lucrative growth opportunities to the market. Cell separation allows scientists to isolate cells that can target cancer cells. These cells are then cultured and reintroduced into the body in higher numbers to isolate T cells, which are then genetically engineered to detect cancerous cells and reintroduced into the body in higher numbers.

Apart from T cells, B cells can also be separated through the process of cell separation. B cells are responsible for creating antibodies to help combat harmful substances in the body and fight off infectious diseases. With cell separation, researchers and scientists can also study the individual behavior of B cells.

Increased Research and Development Activities are Supporting the Market Growth

In 2023, researchers at Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) in collaboration with the National University Health System (NUHS) and Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) developed a technology that allows the extraction of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) directly from the pure bone marrow. With the utilization of a multi-chip Deterministic Lateral Displacement (DLD) microfluidic platform and a continuous sorting technique, the novel technique reduces the turnaround time to approximately twenty minutes and doubles the quantity of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from bone marrow samples.

The technique also simplifies cell therapy manufacturing, reduces donor discomfort as less bone marrow is being extracted, and speeds up cell production. This advancement is a crucial step towards the provision of efficient and accessible advanced medical treatments that require mesenchymal stem cells- including treatment for infectious and autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders, and osteoarthritis.

North America Dominates Cell Separation Market

North America is expected to account for a significant cell separation market share owing to the strong presence of various key market players in the region, rapid expansion of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and increasing prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases. The high adoption rate of technologically advanced solutions in countries, such as the United States and Canada, are further supporting the market growth in North America. Additionally, increased spending on research and development activities by various key players and research institutions is providing lucrative growth opportunities to the market.

In 2022, Akadeum Life Sciences, an emerging life science startup, headquartered in Michigan, United States, scored a patent for buoyancy-based cell separation technique. The utilization of microbubbles supports the separation of targeted cell groups. The patent also protects Akadeum’s portfolio of cell separation technology kits and T and B isolation kits. The company’s buoyancy-based cell sorting technology uses microbubbles or low-density particles for floating targeted cells to the top of the sample. The patent issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, numbered 11,291,931, is the company’s fourth issued patent.

Increased Demand for High Quality Consumables

The domination of the consumable segment can be attributed to the rising efforts and investments towards research and development activities by major biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical corporations for producing advanced biologics such as vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. Due to the dependency of biotechnologists, researchers, and scientists on these essential products for accurate and precise purification and isolation of specific types of cells, the segment is witnessing significant growth. The availability of accurately purified and isolated cell types facilitates and supports the progress of different life science applications. The reliance upon high quality consumables is also increasing owing to their crucial role in advancing the process of cell separation. These products ensure the provision of viable end products that aid in the generation of accurate results for various scientific processes. For example, flow cytometry tubes are essential for flow cytometry-based cell sorting. The technique allows researchers and scientists to separate cells up on a wide range of variables that go beyond metabolic status and size. The technique allows the analysis of millions of cells and has a high throughput.

The innovation of CellRaft Technology, that was developed in the lab of Dr. Nancy Allbritton at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, offers an efficient and streamlined solution for the development of cell line by combining the automated imaging and isolation capabilities of the CellRaft AIR System with the flask-like culture conditions provided by the CellRaft Array cell culture consumable.

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies Account for a Significant Market Share

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies held a significant share of the market during the historical period and are expected to generate similar results over the forecast period. The extensive involvement of these companies in research and development activities to ensure the production of new generation therapeutics that require cell separation techniques is a contributing factor in ensuring the position of the segment in the market. The rising efforts of these establishments towards the development of efficient therapeutics and vaccines, due to the growing prevalence of infectious diseases and increasing incidences of chronic diseases, are boosting the demand for cell separation solutions. The rising requirement for biosimilars, monoclonal antibodies, and recombinant proteins is further bolstering the requirement for cell separation techniques by various pharmaceutical companies.

Future Market Scenario (2024 – 2031F)

The researchers from the Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) recently published a paper in the journal Lab on a Chip, titled “Scalable mesenchymal stem cell enrichment from bone marrow aspirate using DLD microfluidic sorting”. The paper aimed to address the challenges associated with large-scale cell sorting and has pioneered a revolutionary stem cell sorting platform.

The advancements in flow cytometry, a technique that enables the analysis of individual cells depending upon their chemical and physical characteristics, are anticipated to contribute cell separation precision.

The buoyancy-based cell sorting (BACS) technology is anticipated to eliminate the requirement for columns or magnets in the separation process. This is expected to reduce workflow time as compared to the standard methods and ensure the delivery of samples with high yield and purity.

The integration of pluriBead technology extends the utility of the PluriStrainer by enabling enrichment of certain cell types. The innovative combination supports the facilitation of precise cell isolation which enhances the purity of cell population.

Key Players Landscape and Outlook

Key participants in the cell separation market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., STEMCELL Technologies Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Akadeum Life Sciences, and Becton Dickinson and Company. The market is expected to witness significant growth owing to rising requirements from various pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies to produce biologics, among others. The rising demand for personalized and regenerative medicines is anticipated to provide lucrative growth opportunities for the market in the coming years.

In October 2023, Akadeum Life Sciences previewed the first of its kind, microbubble cell separation instrument. The instrument is expected to provide a closed system for separating T cells with the help of Buoyancy Activated Cell Sorting (BACS) microbubble technology. The instrument promises to boost cell recovery, improve sample recovering robustness, speed up the process of cell separation, reduce cell exhaustion, and automate various manual steps. The instrument enables unmatched productivity and scalability for T cell preparation by ensuring the processing of more healthy cells per isolation.