DeCART Therapeutics utilizes small molecule targeted protein modulation to enhance CAR T cell therapies, improving their efficacy against cancer. This approach addresses the limitations of current CAR T treatments by optimizing protein levels within cells to better combat tumor growth.
Funding
$175M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Current CAR T-cell therapies face limitations in efficacy against solid tumors and can suffer from inconsistent performance due to variable protein levels within the CAR T-cells themselves. Optimizing the intracellular environment of CAR T-cells to enhance their tumor-killing capabilities remains a significant challenge.
Solution
DeCART Therapeutics employs small molecule targeted protein modulation to fine-tune protein levels within CAR T-cells, thereby enhancing their therapeutic efficacy. By selectively degrading or elevating specific proteins, DeCART aims to create CAR T-cells with improved persistence, enhanced tumor infiltration, and superior cytotoxic activity. This approach leverages the body's natural protein degradation pathways to optimize CAR T-cell function, leading to more effective and consistent anti-cancer responses. The platform utilizes E3 ligases to degrade specific proteins or ligase inhibitors to prevent protein degradation, allowing for precise control over protein expression.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes pharmaceutical companies and research institutions developing CAR T-cell therapies, as well as clinicians seeking to improve outcomes for patients with cancer and inflammatory diseases.
Features
- Small molecule-mediated targeted protein degradation to remove inhibitory proteins within CAR T-cells
- Small molecule-mediated targeted protein elevation to increase the expression of proteins that enhance CAR T-cell activity
- DELigase platform for identifying and developing small molecules that modulate specific protein targets
- Optimization of CAR T-cell persistence and expansion through protein modulation
- Enhancement of CAR T-cell tumor infiltration and cytotoxic activity