ADD abstract

tex/thesis.tex

@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 \usepackage[capitalize]{cleveref}
 \usepackage[version=4]{mhchem}
 \usepackage{pgfgantt}
+\usepackage{setspace}
+
+\doublespacing
 
 \titleformat{\section}[block]{\bfseries\large}{}{0pt}{\uppercase}
 \titleformat{\subsection}[block]{\bfseries\large}{}{0pt}{\titlecap}
@@ -33,10 +36,18 @@
 \renewcommand{\glossarysection}[2][]{} % remove glossary title
 \makeglossaries
 \newacronym{act}{ACT}{adoptive cell therapies}
+\newacronym{car}{CAR}{chimeric antigen receptor}
+\newacronym[longplural={monoclonal antibodies}]{mab}{mAb}{monoclonal antibody}
+\newacronym{ecm}{ECM}{extracellular matrix}
+\newacronym{cqa}{CQA}{critical quality attribute}
+\newacronym{cpp}{CPP}{critical process parameter}
+\newacronym{dms}{DMS}{degradable microscaffold}
+\newacronym{doe}{DOE}{design of experiments}
 
 \begin{document}
 
 \begin{titlepage}
+  \begin{singlespace}
   \begin{center}
 
     \huge\textbf{Optimizing T Cell Manufacturing and Quality Using
@@ -98,6 +109,7 @@
   Dr. Sakis Mantalaris \\
   Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia
   Institute of Technology and Emory University }
+\end{singlespace}
 \end{titlepage}
 
 \onecolumn \pagenumbering{roman}
@@ -116,7 +128,32 @@ Thank you to Lex Fridman and Devin Townsend for being awesome and inspirational.
 
 \section*{abstract}
 
-Insert abstract here.
+\Gls{act} using \gls{car} T cells have shown promise in treating cancer, but
+manufacturing large numbers of high quality cells remains challenging. Currently
+approved T cell expansion technologies involve anti-CD3 and CD28 \glspl{mab},
+usually mounted on magnetic beads. This method fails to recapitulate many key
+signals found \textit{in vivo} and is also heavily licensed by a few companies,
+limiting its long-term usefulness to manufactures and clinicians. Furthermore,
+we understand that highly potent T cells are generally less-differentiated
+subtypes such as central memory and stem memory T cells. Despite this
+understanding, little has been done to optimize T cell expansion for generating
+these subtypes, including measurement and feedback control strategies that are
+necessary for any modern manufacturing process.
+
+The goal of this thesis was to develop a microcarrier-based \gls{dms} T cell
+expansion system as well as determine biologically-meaningful \glspl{cqa} and
+\glspl{cpp} that could be used to optimize for highly-potent T cells. In Aim 1,
+we develop and characterized the \gls{dms} system, including quality control
+steps. We also demonstrate the feasiblity of expanding highly-potent memory and
+CD4+ T cells, and showing compatibility with existing \gls{car} transduction
+methods. In aim 2, we use \gls{doe} methodology to optimize the \gls{dms}
+platform, and develop a computational pipeline to identify and model the effect
+of measurable \glspl{cqa} and \glspl{cpp} on the final product. In aim 3, we
+demonstrate the effectiveness of the \gls{dms} platform \textit{in vivo}. This
+thesis lays the groundwork for a novel T cell expansion method which can be used
+in a clinical setting, and also provides a path toward optimizing for product
+quality in an industrial setting.
+
 
 \clearpage