Program Type: Translation
Development of a Noninvasive Prenatal Test for Beta-Hemoglobinopathies for Earlier Stem Cell Therapeutic Interventions
Translational Candidate An earlier, safer noninvasive prenatal screening test for β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease to identify candidates for prenatal stem cell therapy Area of Impact Our test is safer and can be conducted earlier than the current methods of prenatal testing (e.g. chorionic villous sampling and amniocentesis) Mechanism of Action Our test uses next […]
Development of a Noninvasive Prenatal Test for Beta-Hemoglobinopathies for Earlier Stem Cell Therapeutic Interventions
Translational Candidate An earlier, safer noninvasive prenatal screening test for β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease to identify candidates for prenatal stem cell therapy Area of Impact Our test is safer and can be conducted earlier than the current methods of prenatal testing (e.g. chorionic villous sampling and amniocentesis) Mechanism of Action Our test uses next […]
Development of a universal allogeneic human interneuron cell therapy candidate for the treatment of drug resistant focal epilepsy.
Translational Candidate Development of a universal allogeneic human interneuron cell therapy candidate for the treatment of drug resistant focal epilepsy. Area of Impact Non-destructive treatment option for drug-resistant focal epilepsy patients with reduced immunosuppression regimen and universal recipient eligibility Mechanism of Action The proposed therapeutic candidate comprises inhibitory interneurons that would be delivered in a […]
Combating Ovarian Cancer with Stem Cell-Engineered Off-The-Shelf CAR-NKT Cell Therapy
Translational Candidate stem cell-based off-the-shelf CAR-NKT cells Area of Impact ovarian cancer (OC) Mechanism of Action The proposed cell therapy candidate, AlloMCAR-NKT cells, can directly kill OC tumor cells through CAR/NKR dual-targeting mechanisms, and can also modulate OC tumor microenvironment (TME) by depleting immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and myeloid-derived suppressive cells (MDSCs) via iNKT TCR-mediated […]
Targeting pancreatic cancer with Allogeneic Off-the-Shelf PSCA-CAR NK cells
Translational Candidate PSCA-CAR_sIL15 NK cells derived from CD34(+) umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells Area of Impact patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer or other cancers that also highly express PSCA Mechanism of Action PSCA-CAR_sIL15 NK cells are umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ HSCs that are engineered to target PSCA and express soluble IL-15, and then are […]
Toward a Cure for Gaucher Disease Type 1: Autologous Transplantation of Genome Edited Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Translational Candidate Autologous blood stem cells edited to restore glucocerebrosidase expression Area of Impact Gaucher disease type 1 (non-neuronopathic) Mechanism of Action To treat Gaucher disease, autologous blood stem cells undergo genome editing to restore the deficient enzyme. Reintroducing these edited cells replaces the patient's bone marrow, establishing a lasting enzyme reservoir. The bone marrow […]
Development of AS-241, an UNC13A Targeting Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO) Treatment for ALS, for IND-enabling Studies
Translational Candidate AS-241, an antisense oligonucleotide Area of Impact Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Mechanism of Action AS-241 targets the cryptic exon (CE) of UNC13A and suppresses CE inclusion during RNA splicing, inhibits nonsense-mediated decay, and increases full length mRNA and protein levels Unmet Medical Need To date, therapeutic options for ALS have been limited, and disease-modifying […]
Hypoimmunogenic iPSC-derived TCR-NK cells for oncology
Translational Candidate iPSC-derived NY-ESO-1 TCR/IL-15 NK cells Area of Impact NK drug product homogeneity and engraftment/response durability will be improved by this hypoimmunogenic iPSC-TCR-NK therapy in cancer patients Mechanism of Action The MoA of the candidate involves engagement of NY-ESO-1-peptide-presented HLA-A*02 molecules on the surface of tumor cells in tissues by the NY-ESO-1-specific TCR on […]
Development of a Gene Therapy for Treatment of Guanidinoacetate Methyltransferase Deficiency-Translating In Vivo Proof of Concept to Support a Pre-IND
Translational Candidate Adeno-associated viral vector serotyped for tropism to express guanidinoacetate methyltransferase in hepatocytes and brain cells. Area of Impact Developing a new therapy for Guanidinoacetate Methyltransferase Deficiency, where present day this is minimally effective at best. Mechanism of Action The proposed clinical candidate is a virus that has been altered to carry the gene […]
A high quality, accessible cell therapy for Parkinson’s Disease produced in a scalable bioreactor system for 3D cell expansion and differentiation
Translational Candidate Human pluripotent stem cell expanded and differentiated dopaminergic precursor cells to treat Parkinson’s Disease at high quantity and high quality Area of Impact This candidate uses a 3D cell culture technology that addresses the manufacturing bottleneck and creates a high-quality scalable cell therapy. Mechanism of Action Dopamine producing cells are implanted into the […]