Adoptive cell therapy based on CAR T cells is proving life-saving for many cancer patients. However, its therapeutic efficacy is limited to a few types of liquid tumors, with solid tumors proving particularly recalcitrant.
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which modulate the tumor microenvironment, inhibit T cell infiltration and induce their dysfunction. These fibroblasts are one of the key factors associated with the ineffectiveness of CAR T cells against solid tumors. In addition, the scarcity of tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) and the expression of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) by healthy tissues often lead to cytotoxicity that poses safety concerns.
Using TALEN® genome editing technology, Cellectis presents an innovative CAR T cell engineering strategy to overcome these challenges. Our allogeneic CAR T cells are designed to express a constitutive CAR targeting FAP+ CAFs in solid tumors and a second CAR, inducible by the presence of FAP+ CAFs and targeting a tumor-associated antigen (TAA) named mesothelin. The resulting SMART DUAL CAR T cells efficiently infiltrate and target triple-negative solid breast tumors in physiologically relevant mouse models, with no observable toxicity outside the tumor target.
“This approach could address several major challenges of CAR T cell therapy for solid tumors, such as poor tumor infiltration of CAR T cells, cytotoxicity to healthy tissues, immunosuppressive microenvironment, and heterogeneity of antigens associated with solid tumors. This strategy therefore has significant implications for the successful development of CAR T cell therapies for solid tumors,” said Shipra Das, Ph.D., Associate Director Immuno-Oncology and Innovation Program Management at Cellectis.
About Cellectis
Cellectis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company using its pioneering TALEN® genome editing technology to develop innovative therapies for serious diseases. Cellectis is developing the first allogeneic CAR T-cell immunotherapy therapeutics, pioneering the concept of off-the-shelf, ready-to-use gene-edited CAR T cells for the treatment of cancer patients, and a platform for therapeutic gene editing in hematopoietic stem cells for a variety of diseases. Leveraging its 24 years of genome engineering expertise, its TALEN® genome editing technology, and its pioneering PulseAgile electroporation technology, Cellectis is developing innovative product candidates using the power of the immune system to treat diseases with high unmet medical needs. Cellectis is headquartered in Paris, France, with additional offices in New York and Raleigh, USA.
Cellectis is listed on the Euronext Growth market (code: ALCLS) and on the Nasdaq Global Market (code: CLLS).
To learn more, visit our website: www.cellectis.com
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TALEN® is a registered trademark owned by Cellectis.
Warning :
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “intended” and “may” or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on our management’s current expectations and assumptions and on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements include statements about the potential of the Company’s research and development programs. These forward-looking statements are made in light of information currently available to us and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including with respect to the many risks associated with the development of biopharmaceutical product candidates. In addition, many other important factors, including those described in our Annual Report on Form 20-F and Financial Report (including Management’s Discussion and Analysis) for the year ended December 31, 2023 and subsequent filings made by Cellectis with the Securities Exchange Commission from time to time, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, as well as other known and unknown risks and uncertainties, could adversely affect these forward-looking statements and cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.
For further information about Cellectis, please contact:
Media contacts:
Pascalyne Wilson, Director, Communications, +33 (0)7 76 99 14 33, media@cellectis.com
Patricia Sosa Navarro, Chief of Staff to the CEO, +33 (0)7 76 77 46 93
Investor Relations Contact:
Arthur Stril, Interim Chief Financial Officer, +1 (347) 809 5980, investors@cellectis.com
- CP FAP article_Molecular Therapy(1).pdf
