NKILT Therapeutics develops allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies engineered from natural killer (NK) cells to target leukemias and solid tumors. The company utilizes its proprietary Chimeric ILT-Receptor (CIR™) platform, which leverages natural receptor binding to enhance NK cell activation and signaling specificity. This approach aims to directly kill cancer cells while simultaneously activating innate and adaptive immunity against tumors expressing the HLA-G target.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Many cancers evade immune detection by expressing HLA-G, a protein that suppresses immune responses and promotes tumor growth. Traditional cancer therapies often fail to effectively target these HLA-G expressing tumors, leading to limited efficacy and potential for relapse. Current allogeneic cell therapies have limitations in persistence and tumor infiltration, hindering their ability to eradicate solid tumors and leukemias.
Solution
NKILT Therapeutics is developing an allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapy based on engineered natural killer (NK) cells designed to target HLA-G expressing cancers. The company's Chimeric ILT-Receptor (CIR™) technology enhances the natural specificity and signaling of NK cells, enabling them to directly kill cancer cells and activate both innate and adaptive immune responses. By targeting HLA-G, NKILT's approach aims to overcome tumor defense mechanisms and improve the efficacy of cell therapies against a broad range of leukemias and solid tumors. The engineered NK cells are designed for longer activation in vivo, optimizing signal transduction and exploiting the vulnerability of tumors that express HLA-G within the tumor microenvironment.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with leukemias and solid tumors that express HLA-G, as well as oncologists and hematologists seeking more effective and accessible cell therapy options.
Features
- Allogeneic, off-the-shelf NK cell therapy for immediate availability
- CIR™ technology for enhanced targeting of HLA-G expressing cancer cells
- Dual mechanism of action: direct cancer cell killing and activation of immune responses
- Optimized signal transduction for longer NK cell activation in vivo
- Potential application in over 50% of cancers due to broad HLA-G expression across tumor types
- CIR technology applicable to other immune cells, such as T cells and invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells