News
April 8, 2022
Obsidian Therapeutics to Present Preclinical Data from cytoDRiVE® Platform at the American Associate of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2022
Data from cytoDRiVE platform demonstrate tight control of interleukin 12 (IL12) in human CD19 CAR-T cells
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 8, 2022 – Obsidian Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering engineered cell and gene therapies, today announced it will present data highlighting the potential of the company’s cytoDRiVE® platform technology, which allows regulation of protein expression using small molecule drugs. The data to be presented demonstrate tight control of membrane bound or shed IL12 (a proinflammatory cytokine whose potential clinical utility has been limited by toxicity) in CAR-T cells. The data will be presented during a poster session at the AACR Annual Meeting 2022. The abstract title has been posted to the AACR Online Itinerary Planner, will be published in the online Proceedings of the AACR, and is detailed below.
Jan ter Meulen, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Obsidian, commented, “We continue to validate the exciting potential of our cytoDRiVE platform technology to control the expression of potent cytokines such as IL12. We look forward to presenting details of this work at AACR and continuing to enhance cell therapy programs for the benefit of cancer patients.”
Details of the poster presentation are as follows:
Abstract Number: 7604
Title: Novel Drug-responsive domain (DRD)-based regulation technology enables tightly controlled activity of potent membrane-bound IL12 in adoptive cell therapies
Presenter: Dr. Sean Smith, Senior Scientist, Obsidian Therapeutics
Date and Time: Section 18, April 11, 2022, 1:30-5:00 p.m. CT
Abstract Summary: Interleukin 12 (IL12) is an attractive cancer immunotherapeutic known to be extremely potent against solid tumors preclinically. However, the clinical utility of IL12 has been limited by toxicities stemming from systemic cytokine exposure. Harnessing the power of IL12 in a therapeutic setting will require technologies that provide tight control of IL12 expression and localization. In mouse models, Obsidian demonstrates that membrane-bound IL12 (mbIL12) increases activity at the tumor site in vivo, while reducing potential systemic toxicities. Further, Obsidian regulates mbIL12 expression using its cytoDRiVE® technology as a titratable and reversible rheostat for on-demand protein activity. Seeking even greater control over mbIL12 levels, Obsidian observes that by adding a novel “modulation hub” that increases the multiplicity of DRDs, the regulation of membrane-bound (mbIL12) greatly improves, leading up to a 30-fold dynamic range of mbIL12 abundance. Combining DRDs with modulation hubs and membrane tethering enables the control of highly potent, previously clinically intractable cytokines, such as IL12, for use in enhancing cell therapies.
About Obsidian Therapeutics
Obsidian Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company pioneering engineered cell and gene therapies to deliver transformative outcomes for patients with intractable diseases. Obsidian’s proprietary cytoDRiVE® technology provides a way to precisely control the timing and level of protein function by using FDA approved small molecules. Obsidian is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. The Company has collaborations with Bristol Myers Squibb and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. For more information, please visit www.obsidiantx.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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