KVAL: Tuned CAR-T cells – a novel platform technology

Cellular cancer treatment with CAR-Ts is by many regarded as the future of oncology. But so far, not many CAR-Ts have succeeded in the clinic. One of the reasons for this is that oftentimes the T-cells have a CAR which can kill the T-cell itself even before it can kill the cancer cell. Scientists at OUS have developed a new CAR-T design, Tuned CAR, which has the potential to solve this problem. The Tuned CAR technology can in principle be used on any CAR and therefore is potentially a lucrative platform technology. We have verified with two CAR candidates during this qualification grant project that our Tuned CARs only attack the tumor cells and not themselves. With this, we have achieved an important milestone in the development of the Tuned CAR platform. Funding from this qualification grant has also allowed to secure patent protection for the Tuned CAR platform technology. Following this positive result from the qualification grant project, our next step will be to apply for a verification grant from RCN for a broader verification of the Tuned CAR technology platform with more CAR candidates. The verification grant will get the Tuned CAR platform ready for commercialization, most likely in the form of setting up a new start-up company.

-Vi har generert data som viser at Tuned CAR fungerer med to konvensjonelle CARs. Begge har store problemer med tonic signaling som umuligjør effisient produksjon in vitro. Tuned CAR kunne redde produksjonen og dermed frigjør veien for famtidig preklinisk og klinisk utprøvning. -Vi har sendt inn en patentsøknad på Tuned CAR plattformen som har blitt videreført til en PCT patentsøknad. - Vi har generert nok lovende data for å bestemme oss for å søke om en søknad om verifiseringsmidler. Med verifiseringsmidlene skal vi bygge en signifikant og overbevisende data pakke som kan utløse kommersialisering.