Immugenia is developing a CAR therapy that utilizes engineered hematopoietic stem cells to selectively express chimeric antigen receptors in T and NK cells, enabling a targeted immune response against cancer. This approach aims to provide a one-time treatment option that effectively combats hard-to-treat cancers and reduces the risk of relapse.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Current cancer treatments often struggle with relapse and the inability to target specific cancer cells without harming healthy tissues. Traditional CAR-T cell therapies require complex and expensive ex vivo modification of cells, limiting accessibility and increasing treatment time.
Solution
Immugenia is developing an in vivo CAR therapy that engineers hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to selectively express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) in T and NK cells. This approach leverages the synergistic activity of T and NK cells to target and eliminate cancer cells while minimizing off-target effects. By engineering HSCs, the therapy allows for continuous replenishment of CAR-T and CAR-NK cells, potentially providing a long-lasting immune response and reducing the risk of relapse. The in vivo approach bypasses the need for ex vivo cell modifications, enhancing accessibility and reducing treatment complexity.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with hard-to-treat cancers, particularly childhood cancers, and healthcare providers seeking more effective and accessible CAR therapy options.
Features
- Proprietary promoter technology for selective CAR expression in T and NK cell lineages
- Lentiviral particle design for targeted delivery to immune cells
- In vivo CAR therapy administration, eliminating the need for ex vivo cell modification
- HSC engineering for continuous replenishment of CAR-T and CAR-NK cells
- Synergistic activity of CAR-T and CAR-NK cells for enhanced cancer cell targeting
- Minimized off-target effects through restricted CAR expression