04.27.23
Plasticell Ltd, a developer of stem cell technologies and advanced therapies, has entered into a strategic collaboration with Singapore-based LambdaGen. The two companies will exploit genome editing technologies based on synthetic lambda integrases that allow specific insertion of large gene cassettes into the human genome.
The partnership is in part financed by a EUREKA GlobalStars competitive grant. The funding has been awarded to enable the two organizations to carry out a project – valued at GBP £400,000 – which aims to create a broadly-applicable iPSC-derived allogenic immunotherapy platform.
LambdaGen will produce iPSC lines engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and other effectors that enhance the anti-tumor activity of immune cells. Plasticell will use its combinatorial screening technology, CombiCult, to develop optimal protocols to convert these iPSCs into natural killer (NK) cells for allogeneic cancer immunotherapy.
“Cellular immunotherapy using CAR-T cells has revolutionized cancer treatment but these personalized medicines have significant manufacturing constraints and are prohibitively costly. There is a need for alternative ‘off-the-shelf’ immunotherapy products, which can be met by engineered NK cells capable of functioning in an allogeneic setting,” said Marina Tarunina, research director of Plasticell.
“iPSCs can be engineered with various functionalities to increase safety and efficacy of differentiated immune cell products, and to reduce the manufacturing complexity and cost. LambdaGen’s technology allows facile insertion of multi-gene cassettes at pre-determined safe harbor sites of the human genome,” said Harshyaa Makhija, CEO of LambdaGen.
“We intend to engineer immune cells with multiple genes that increase tumor specificity, persistence, homing, and resistance to the tumor microenvironment, with a view to creating next-generation therapeutic products”, Makhija said.
The cellular immunotherapy sector is currently dominated by CAR-T therapies – with over 2,100 products in development. NK cells are the second most utilized cell type with over 500 products in development. Genetic modifications (besides CAR-T) which are engineered into cell immunotherapies represent a new approach to enhancing safety and potency. Currently, ‘armoured’ cell therapies comprise approximately 10% of assets in development.
The partnership is in part financed by a EUREKA GlobalStars competitive grant. The funding has been awarded to enable the two organizations to carry out a project – valued at GBP £400,000 – which aims to create a broadly-applicable iPSC-derived allogenic immunotherapy platform.
LambdaGen will produce iPSC lines engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and other effectors that enhance the anti-tumor activity of immune cells. Plasticell will use its combinatorial screening technology, CombiCult, to develop optimal protocols to convert these iPSCs into natural killer (NK) cells for allogeneic cancer immunotherapy.
“Cellular immunotherapy using CAR-T cells has revolutionized cancer treatment but these personalized medicines have significant manufacturing constraints and are prohibitively costly. There is a need for alternative ‘off-the-shelf’ immunotherapy products, which can be met by engineered NK cells capable of functioning in an allogeneic setting,” said Marina Tarunina, research director of Plasticell.
“iPSCs can be engineered with various functionalities to increase safety and efficacy of differentiated immune cell products, and to reduce the manufacturing complexity and cost. LambdaGen’s technology allows facile insertion of multi-gene cassettes at pre-determined safe harbor sites of the human genome,” said Harshyaa Makhija, CEO of LambdaGen.
“We intend to engineer immune cells with multiple genes that increase tumor specificity, persistence, homing, and resistance to the tumor microenvironment, with a view to creating next-generation therapeutic products”, Makhija said.
The cellular immunotherapy sector is currently dominated by CAR-T therapies – with over 2,100 products in development. NK cells are the second most utilized cell type with over 500 products in development. Genetic modifications (besides CAR-T) which are engineered into cell immunotherapies represent a new approach to enhancing safety and potency. Currently, ‘armoured’ cell therapies comprise approximately 10% of assets in development.