Technology
Our platform is based on gamma delta T-cells (γδ T-cells), a special type of immune cell that combines the characteristics of T-cells and NK cells, achieving greater levels of potency against cancer.
- Specificity based on αβ TCR
- Very high repertoire
- Detects mutations and infection
- Different haplotypes (causes GvHD)
- Specificity based on conserved receptors
- Detect abnormal, and infected cells
- Multiple inhibitory receptors
- Cancer detection
- Specificity based on conserved γδ TCR (no GvHD) and NK cell receptors
- Detect abnormal, and infected cells
- Highest specificity against cancer cells
The combined specificity of gamma delta T-cells makes them highly suited to tumour immunotherapy
- Allogeneic CAR approaches represent the future of CAR therapies, as they are made by better quality of cells than those obtained from patients, being immediately available off-the-shelf, and cheaper to make. They are therefore potentially more potent and more easily accessible to cancer patients.
- The allogeneic platform being developed in this EIC funded project is based on a rare type of T-cells called Delta 1 Gamma delta T-cells. As these cells are conserved among all individuals, they do not need to be further modified to avoid the risk of graft versus host disease (GvHD).
- These cells are highly active, but only represent around 1% of all T-cells, so they are difficult to isolate and expand in large numbers.
- Our unique platform differentiates these cells from progenitor cells that can be found in cord blood or can be made from other cell types and allows us to grow them in much larger numbers. This enables us to fully unlock the potential of these cells and deliver these treatments to a lot more cancer patients.
- We genetically engineer these cells to express a CAR molecule that specifically targets cancer molecules on cells, thereby adding significant additional cancer specificity to these cells.
- The first product funded by this EIC grant will express two CAR molecules, against leukemic T-cells, enabling us to target these leukemic cells, whilst sparing normal cells.
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