Value Proposition:
· Gene-editing approach creates myeloid cells polarized into a pro-inflammatory phenotype.
· Engineered cells persist even in an immune-suppressive environment.
· High potential as anti-cancer therapy, as cells are present in all tissues and can easily infiltrate tumors.
· Cells demonstrate robust expression of pre-inflammatory cytokines.
Technology Description
· Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a method of activating innate immune cells to better kill cancerous cells. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, immature myeloid cells can be altered into a pro-inflammatory state required to kill cancer cells. These gene-edited myeloid cells show increased expression of inflammatory cytokines when subjected to the immune-suppressive conditions present in tumors. The available data demonstrates the efficiency of this cell generation in both mouse and human cells.
Unmet Need
· Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease. Certain cancer types still lack effective treatments, available treatments are not effective for all patients, and cancer can mutate to develop resistance to current treatments. Therefore, there is a strong need for new cutting-edge cancer therapies that are effective and can address the immune-evasive nature of cancer.
Stage of Development
· Proof of concept studies for generating and examining the cytokine expression for these cells have been completed with human and murine cells.
Data Availability
· Data available upon request.
Publications
· Absence of host NF-κB p50 induces murine glioblastoma tumor regression, increases survival, and decreases T-cell induction of tumor-associated macrophage M2 polarization. Theresa Barberi, et al. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy. July 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-018-2184-2
· NF-κB p50-deficient immature myeloid cell (p50-IMC) adoptive transfer slows the growth of murine prostate and pancreatic ductal carcinoma. Rahul Suresh, et al. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. January 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2019-000244
· Adoptive Transfer of Immature Myeloid Cells Lacking NF‐ΚB P50 (P50‐IMC) Impedes the Growth of MHC‐Matched High‐Risk Neuroblastoma. Cheng Cui, et al. Molecular Oncology. January 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1002/1878-0261.12904
