What is CAR?
CAR-Ts
T cells are one type of white blood cell, the part of the immune system that recognizes, fights and remembers invading bacteria, viruses as well as cancerous cells. These cells are specific to the patient, with a “type” that can be rejected if implanted into another person. This is known as an HLA type. Chimeric Antigen Receptors have been added to patient T-cells with great success to target hematological (blood) cancer, specifically B-cell ALL. We are utilizing this same successful technology to target multiple other malignancies, including multiple types of hematological cancer that currently have a poor prognosis and few treatment options.
CAR-NKs
Natural Killer (NK) cells are another type of white blood cell that fights invaders to the body. These cells recognize and eliminate certain invaders quickly, but they do not remember them as T cells do. One benefit of these cells for CAR therapy is that they are universal, meaning that they do not need to be HLA matched before being introduced into a patient when a CAR is made from a donors blood cells. This newer technology has recently been shown to be beneficial for certain types of cancer in multiple Phase 1 clinical trials.
Innovative Thinking and Rational Design
Our R & D is focused to improve functional properties, expand applicability, and reduce cost of CAR engineered cells.
We develop proprietary technologies that fall into two broad categories: Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) and engineered cells that target novel surface markers(s) on target cells (CAR targets) and “CAR Enhancements” (CEs)- unique technologies that enhance CARs and modulate the patients innate immune system to help fight disease.
CAR Technology
“CAR” therapy uses modified white blood cells to fight cancer or autoimmune conditions. A physician collects a donor or a patient’s cells through a process called apheresis, genetically modifies them to express the “chimeric antigen receptor” (CAR) protein on its surface, then reintroduces the newly modified CAR T cells or Natural Killer (NK) cells into the patient where it binds to a target protein on the patient’s cancer. Upon binding the target protein, the CAR protein will send a signal across the cell membrane to the interior of the white blood cell to set in motion the mechanisms needed to kill the targeted cells.