The world’s first mobile leukapheresis center expands access to lifesaving cell and gene therapies in communities, collecting the immune cells that make advanced treatments possible- safely and conveniently.
Patient access can be a problem -BBG Advanced Therapies built a solution that moves.
The Mobile Leukapheresis Center transforms how immune-cell collection is delivered, making cell and gene therapy more reachable than ever before.
Designed and operated by experts with more than 15 years of apheresis experience, the Mobile Leukapheresis Center brings cell collection capabilities directly to patients and providers.
Every feature of the mobile unit is built with precision and compassion, from cGMP-aligned collection protocols to a comfortable, wheelchair-accessible environment.
It’s the first program of its kind: combining clinical rigor, regional equity, and more than 50 years of innovation to save and enhance lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue.
The Mobile Leukapheresis Center is designed to safely and comfortably collect immune cells used in advanced therapies for cancer, autoimmune conditions, genetic disorders, and other serious illnesses.
For many patients who live hundreds of miles from the nearest leukapheresis center, access to these therapies can be difficult. By bringing high-quality cell collection directly to communities, the Mobile Leukapheresis Center helps remove geographic and systemic barriers that can delay treatment.
This initiative reflects BBG Advanced Therapies’ ongoing commitment to saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. The Mobile Leukapheresis Center expands access to transformative therapies one collection, one connection, and one community at a time.
Cell therapies—also known as advanced therapies—use a patient’s own immune cells to target and treat disease. These approaches have been studied for more than 25 years in clinical trials and are now being used more widely to treat:
Ongoing research and innovation offers promise and hope for the treatment of other diseases.
The Mobile Leukapheresis Center supports patients, providers, and research partners to create seamless access from the first collection.
Immune-cell collection is performed in a safe, comfortable environment near home. Licensed clinical healthcare professionals guide patients through each step in a private setting.
If you’re preparing for a cell therapy, your care team may include immune cell collection as part of your treatment plan. We help with that step—so you don’t have to travel far to get started.
You’ll sit comfortably in a reclining chair while your blood is drawn, and separated to collect immune cells, while the remainder returned to you. It’s nonsurgical and similar to donating plasma or platelets.
The process usually takes about 3–4 hours. You will be able to relax, read, or watch a movie during your visit. We even have a bathroom onboard, so if you need to use the restroom, we’ve got you covered!
Yes. Our mobile center is equipped to accommodate individuals with mobility needs. We have a wheelchair-accessible lift and our team is trained to assist patients and donors in boarding safely and comfortably. If you have specific needs, we are happy to discuss them in advance to make sure you feel fully supported during your visit.
They are sent to a specialized processing lab where they are ‘trained’ or enhanced to better fight your illness. Once ready, they’re returned to your care team and given back to you—like a customized transfusion.
Leukapheresis (immune cell collection), is a well-established procedure similar to donating platelets. The BBG Advanced Therapies Apheresis team will describe the process in full detail.
Leukapheresis (immune cell collection) is sometimes performed in hospitals —it is the first step in making the therapy itself. Then the collected immune cells are sent to a lab, where they are turned into a personalized therapy that will be given back to the patient later.
Historically, this type of collection has only been available at large academic medical centers or research hospitals, which can be very far from where many patients live. At BBG Advanced Therapies, we have been performing the process of leukapheresis for our community for more than 15 years. Our mobile leukapheresis center brings that same trusted service to more communities, so more patients can start their treatment journey closer to home.
BioBridge Global is a nonprofit organization that has been serving patients in South Texas for more than 50 years. Our mission is to save and enhance lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue.
Collaboration with hospitals, clinics, and care teams extends cell-collection capabilities to eligible patients. Mobile operations help minimize travel demands, improve scheduling efficiency, and maintain connectivity with referring clinicians through coordinated data-sharing and communication.
We collect immune cells (PBMCs, PBSCs, Granulocytes, & Dendritic cells) for patients preparing for cell and gene therapies, both commercially available and in clinical trials. Our mobile center brings this capability to your patients, reducing the need for distant referrals. We can also provide these services for healthy donor allogeneic cell and gene therapies.
We support the clinical trial sponsor or prescribing care team by performing the cell collection procedure. We have done this for more than 15 years and will coordinate closely with your team.
We serve San Antonio and surrounding regions across South Texas, including Laredo, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Eagle Pass, Del Rio and Victoria. We can coordinate location and timing to fit patient needs.
Contact our coordination team at MLC@bbgat.org, and we will walk through your goals and how we can help.
Biopharma sponsors, and research organizations benefit from high-quality, regulatory-compliant cell collection that supports clinical and commercial programs. FACT-accredited apheresis protocols, cGMP-aligned operations, and full data traceability, electronic documentation systems allow the Mobile Leukapheresis Center to integrate directly into sponsor workflows, expanding clinical trial access and enabling decentralized site activation.
Yes, we can support both autologous and allogeneic FDA-approved cell therapies. The team is experienced in integrating with sponsor-specific workflows and regulatory requirements, and operates a FACT-accredited leukapheresis center. We also adhere to GMP and GLP standards to ensure quality and compliance.
Yes. Our Mobile Leukapheresis Center was specifically designed to support decentralized and hybrid clinical trials. Our whole team is CITI-trained, trained in Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and we follow sponsor-specific SOPs and documentation standards. We support early-phase through post-market studies.
Yes. Our footprint in South Texas, coupled with longstanding relationships across the region, enables us to connect with Hispanic, rural, and underserved communities. We are committed to expanding access to cell therapy and research opportunities, and our bilingual staff is trained in culturally competent engagement.
Yes. Our whole team is CITI-trained and experienced in Human Subjects Research regulatory requirements. We conduct healthy donor recruitment and screenings for IRB-approved research and clinical activities. Our organization has over two decades of experience supporting cell sourcing for investigational and commercial products, and we can work directly with sponsor teams to meet protocol requirements. Contact MLC@bbgat.org for more information.
We provide robust support to ensure chain-of-custody and compliance:
We offer a full range of process development, cell isolation, and characterization services through our integrated infrastructure. While the mobile center focuses on cell collection, we provide processing services at our fixed-site facilities, supporting both fresh and cryopreserved workflows. We also offer assay development, stability testing, and product release testing in partnership with our in-house Quality and Testing teams.
Yes. BBG Advanced Therapies offers GMP-compliant manufacturing for both autologous and allogeneic cell therapies. Our capabilities support centralized, decentralized, and distributed manufacturing models, depending on the needs of your program.
We provide flexible cleanroom infrastructure, process development expertise, and integrated support services—including apheresis, testing, cryopreservation, and logistics coordination. Our model is designed to enable small-batch, patient-specific manufacturing while ensuring quality, compliance, and scalability for both early-phase clinical trials and commercial programs.
We’d love to connect. Reach out at MLC@bbgat.org and we’ll explore how the mobile leukapheresis center can support your organization.
Immune cells are the white blood cells that allow the body to fight disease.
Watch this short, animated video to learn more about the bus and immune cells.
Cell therapies (also called “Advanced Therapies”) are treatments that use a patient’s body’s own cells—or donated cells—to treat diseases. It’s not brand new; these therapies have been studied for over 25 years in clinical trials and are now starting to become more widely available. But access for all patients is still limited, and we’re here to help change that.
Cell therapies are being used to treat:
Cell therapies (also called “Advanced Therapies”) are treatments that use a patient’s body’s own cells—or donated cells—to treat diseases. It’s not brand new; these therapies have been studied for over 25 years in clinical trials and are now starting to become more widely available. But access for all patients is still limited, and we’re here to help change that.
Cell therapies are being used to treat:
