CoImmune, Inc., a clinical stage immuno-oncology company, has made a breakthrough with their Synthetic Enzyme-Armed Killer (SEAKER) cell therapy for solid tumor melanomas. Their findings, recently published in Cancer Immunology Research, highlight the potential of the therapy to revolutionize cancer treatment and offer a new way for people to fight their disease.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have made a pioneering discovery in combating cancer. Led by David A. Scheinberg, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Deputy Director, Therapeutic Discovery, Sloan Kettering Institute (SKI), and Derek S. Tan, Ph.D., Chairman of the Chemical Biology Program, SKI, the research team developed SEAKER cells, engineered T cells with specific targeting abilities to tackle solid-tumor melanomas.
Their findings have shown that SEAKER cells can specifically localize to tumors, successfully activate bioactive prodrugs, and provide an effective treatment against melanoma tumors in immunocompetent hosts.
CoImmune is making strides toward overcoming the obstacles preventing treatment of solid tumors with its proprietary CAR-CIK cell platform. By exploring technologies that could provide further support to fight tumor escape and immunosuppression locally at tumor sites, the company is paving the way for innovative treatments. The publication of new research on SEAKER cells in melanoma models highlights a promising insight, justifying CEO Charles Nicolette’s optimism for a breakthrough in the field.
CoImmune has acquired exclusive rights to SEAKER cells – a powerhouse combination of immune cells and anti-cancer drugs that precisely target cancerous tumors without the associated systemic toxicity. This revolutionary technology, developed at MSK, represents a “micropharmacy” that can deliver high levels of treatment exactly where it’s needed most.
Dr. Scheinberg’s latest research with SEAKER cells shows great promise for the future of adoptive cell therapies. Genetically engineered, cytotoxic T cells are designed to seek out and eliminate antigen-positive cancer cells in patients, targeting and converting prodrugs at the tumor site for high anti-tumor drug levels. The goal is to eradicate all solid tumors, despite the challenge of tumor heterogeneity and immune escape mechanisms, proving the potential of this innovative platform.
About CoImmune, Inc.
CoImmune is revolutionizing cancer treatment with its cutting-edge cellular immunotherapies. Our innovative CAR-CIK technology platform for liquid and solid tumors is an improved CAR-T therapy, offering greater efficacy with minimized toxicity.
For solid tumors, our proprietary autologous RNA-loaded dendritic cell technology harnesses amplified total tumor mRNA to program dendritic cells to produce targeted immune responses against neoantigens, without the need to identify them individually.