Versiti - Cellular and Biotherapies | Versiti Diagnostic Laboratories
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Cellular &Biotherapies

Cellular Collections, Processing, and Therapeutic Apheresis for Clinical Care and Advanced Therapies.

Versiti partners with hospitals, biopharma innovators, and academic researchers to support the full continuum of cellular therapy development and care—from therapeutic apheresis at the bedside to leukopak collections and cell processing for research and manufacturing. 

With more than 75 years of expertise in transfusion medicine, Versiti collaborates with leading healthcare systems and biopharmaceutical companies to deliver high-quality cellular starting materials and clinical services.  

Our integrated capabilities span: 

  • Therapeutic Apheresis
  • Cellular Therapy and Biotherapies
  • Cell Processing and Cellular Collections
  • Leukopak Collections for Research and Manufacturing

Together, these services provide a flexible platform for patient care, translational research, and advanced therapy manufacturing. 

Technician testing sample under a microscope.

Therapeutic Apheresis

Versiti delivers specialized therapeutic apheresis procedures and cellular therapy collections that accelerate treatments and strengthen clinical teams. We bring more than 75 years of transfusion medicine expertise to every procedure, serving 20+ hospitals across the Midwest with 6,000+ procedures performed annually. Our physicians, nurses, and staff work as an extension of your care team to deliver precision, compassion, and scientific rigor from bedside to bench. 

Nurse speaking to patient.

24/7 Clinical Services

Our specialized nurses provide 24/7 therapeutic apheresis support for patients across all populations, including pediatric and critically ill individuals. We collaborate directly with your clinical team to customize each procedure, ensuring optimal outcomes. Physician oversight guides every evaluation and clinical decision, providing expert support throughout treatment.

Therapeutic Plasma Exchange represents our highest-volume procedure, serving patients with antibody-mediated conditions in neurology, nephrology, and transplant medicine. Our team brings expertise across the full spectrum of apheresis applications, from photopheresis to red blood cell exchange.

Apheresis Procedures Performed Annually

Research & Cellular Therapy

We collect high-quality mononuclear cells and therapeutic products for research and clinical applications. As a donor-centered partner, we bridge clinical-grade standards with research flexibility to provide cells that meet the precision, consistency, and regulatory readiness your work demands. Our approach connects compassionate patient care with scientific discovery, helping partners move confidently from innovation to life-changing therapies. 

Our service hubs in Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, and Dayton serve patients throughout the Midwest. We extend care up to four hours beyond these locations, ensuring broader access to specialized therapeutic services. 

Leading CAR-T Collections

Since 2016, Versiti has supported CAR-T cell and gene therapy collections across clinical and commercial applications. Our infrastructure supports continued growth as cellular therapy transforms cancer treatment and brings hope to patients. 

As a strategic partner to a Fortune 500 biopharmaceutical company, we have processed more than 40 commercial CAR-T products that bring life-changing cellular therapies to patients nationwide. 

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Versiti Michigan
  • 616-833-8569
  • 616-233-8671
  • Versiti Wisconsin
  • 414-937-6154
  • 414-933-6833
  • Therapeutic Apheresis Procedures

    During plasma exchange therapy, a patient’s plasma is removed and replaced with 5% albumin and/or donated plasma. TPE is used for a wide range of indications, including antibody-mediated syndromes in neurology, nephrology, hematology and organ transplantation.

    • Available in Wisconsin and Michigan

    A procedure in which abnormal red blood cells (RBCs) are removed and replaced with donated RBCs. RBCX is performed for acute episodes and chronic management in sickle cell disease and in the case of certain infections (e.g., malaria and babesiosis) in which RBCs are damaged.

    • Available in Wisconsin and Michigan

    During this procedure, an excessive amount of white blood cells is rapidly removed in disease causing hyperleukocytosis, such as leukemia, which may cause complications such as stroke, respiratory failure and/or renal failure.

    • Available in Wisconsin and Michigan

    A procedure in which an excessive amount of platelets is rapidly removed in diseases like essential thrombocytosis, which may cause complications, such as stroke or heart attack.

    • Available in Wisconsin and Michigan

    A procedure in which white blood cells are separated from a patient’s blood and treated with a medication called Methoxsalen, which makes them sensitive to ultraviolet light. The treated white blood cells are exposed to ultraviolet light and returned to the patient. Photopheresis may be used to treat graft vs. host disease, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and organ transplant rejection.

    • Available in Wisconsin and Michigan

    A procedure in which LDL cholesterol is rapidly removed for chronic treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia. LDL apheresis can also be used to treat focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) when it affects the native kidney or after a kidney transplant.

    • Available in Wisconsin only

    Cellular Therapy & Biotherapies

    Specialized collections supporting the next generation of cell and gene therapies.

    Cellular therapies—including CAR-T cell therapy, gene therapies, and immune cell–based treatments—require reliable access to high-quality starting materials and expert collection procedures. 

    Versiti supports autologous and allogeneic cellular therapy collections, helping healthcare systems and biopharma partners safely obtain the cells required for advanced therapy manufacturing. 

    Capabilities include:

    • CAR-T cell therapy collections
    • Gene therapy collections
    • Mononuclear cell collections
    • Clinical trial collections
    • Commercial therapy support
    Blood type testing.

    Versiti supports CAR-T cell collections for both clinical trials and commercial therapies, helping bring life-changing treatments to patients nationwide. Our clinical teams operate as an extension of your care program—combining bedside expertise, donor management, and regulatory readiness to support rapidly evolving cellular therapy programs.

    Cellular Therapy Product Collections

    Versiti has extensive experience collecting autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cells and mononuclear cells per multiple clinical and commercial protocols. Wisconsin is AABB and FACT accredited and Michigan is AABB accredited and FACT inspected, and both are approved apheresis centers for the National Marrow Donor Program (Be The Match). We are proud to partner with our community hospitals to collect cell therapy products for most current commercial CAR-T cell therapies, as well as clinical research protocols for CAR-T cell and gene therapies.

    A procedure in which immature white blood cells called HPCs are collected from a donor. Individuals may donate for themselves (autologous) or for another person (allogeneic), depending on the physician’s treatment plan.

    A procedure in which MNCs are collected from a donor as the source material for development of individualized cell therapy products.

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    Leukopaks and Cellular Starting Materials

    Powering Cutting-Edge Advancements in Medical Research

    The future of cellular and immune therapies requires high-quality human blood products to drive breakthroughs in clinical research. Versiti empowers biopharma, clinical, and academic researchers with a comprehensive portfolio of blood components, as well as an unmatched expertise in blood collection, apheresis procedures, and donor management. Versiti provides the critical biological materials that drive discovery forward, from developing CAR-T therapies to studying immune cell function or optimizing cell expansion protocols.

    Technician weighing blood unit on scale.

    Leukopak Collection

    Leukopaks are sourced from individual donors under an IRB-approved protocol. Products are collected by leukapheresis where white blood cells are concentrated then shipped fresh or frozen to your facility. Leukopak products are available with additional testing and characterization to meet your specific cellular therapy or research needs.

    Learn More about Leukopaks
    Testing lab with a tray of samples.

    Non-Transfusable Products for Research

    As a pioneering blood center, Versiti is committed to stewardship of the precious gifts that our donors provide. We help to advance new frontiers in science and medicine with donated blood products that have expired or are found to be unsuitable for transfusion.

    Learn More
    Diagnostic labs technican testing some samples, holding micro vials.

    Prospective Product Collections

    Versiti’s Healthy Donor Bank offers prospective blood collections tailored to meet your specific research or manufacturing needs. All collections are conducted under IRB-approved protocols, ensuring ethical compliance, and are available for Research Use Only (RUO) or GTP-compliant applications.

    Explore Prospective Product Collections

    Why Partner with Versiti?

    Expertise Across the Cellular Therapy Ecosystem

    Versiti uniquely integrates clinical services, donor management, biomaterials collection, and translational research expertise within one organization.

    Key differentiators include:

    • Deep transfusion medicine expertise
      More than 75 years of leadership in blood health, apheresis procedures, and donor management.
    • Integrated clinical and research infrastructure
      Our teams support both patient-care procedures and research collections, ensuring consistency from bedside to bench.
    • Established donor networks
      Our contributor programs enable efficient recruitment, screening, and recall of donors for specialized cellular collections.
    • Quality and regulatory alignment
      Collections are conducted under IRB-approved protocols and can support research, clinical trials, and manufacturing applications.
    • Collaborative partnership model
      We work as an extension of your clinical or research team—providing expertise, consultation, and flexible solutions tailored to your program.