DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CoImmune, Inc., a clinical stage immuno-oncology company working to redefine cancer treatment using best-in-class cellular immunotherapies, announced a research collaboration with Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd. (Yeda), the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science, to evaluate the applications of the Synthetic Immune Niche (SIN) technology, developed by Weizmann Institute’s researchers to enhance the expansion and function of human cytokine induced killer (CIK) cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs).
“We are very excited to join in this important collaboration with the research team at the Weizmann Institute of Science,” said Mark DeBenedette, vice president of research and development at CoImmune. “The SIN technology provides a potential methodology to enhance production of off-the-shelf allogenic cell products by providing the necessary scaffolding to support expansion and potency of CAR-CIK cells.”
The SIN technology platform, developed by the research groups of the late Professor Nir Friedman and Professor Benjamin Geiger at the Department of Immunology of the Weizmann Institute, is based on the rationale that the molecular and cellular microenvironments within the immune system can have effects on the outcome of the immune response, including stimulatory effects directed to specific immune cells. As a result, culturing immune cells on carefully selected synthetic environments may enable the conditioning of these cells for a wide range of specific adoptive immunotherapies. The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified cytokine induced killer (CIK) cell platform developed by CoImmune is a variation on CAR-T therapy that is designed to enhance efficacy with greatly reduced toxicity. CIK cells are multifunctional, possessing the killing mechanisms of both T cells and NK cells, and are much more resistant to inducing GVHD compared to T cells. In addition, CoImmune’s proprietary ‘Sleeping Beauty’ gene transfer technology (SB100X) has been shown to be more efficient than recombinant viruses and less prone to off-target mutagenesis than other genetic modification technologies. In a previous clinical trial, CoImmune’s CAR-CIK product for B cell malignancies demonstrated strong clinical efficacy with little to no toxicity.
About CoImmune, Inc.
CoImmune is a privately held, clinical stage immuno-oncology company that will redefine cancer treatment using best-in-class cellular immunotherapies. Our allogeneic CAR-CIK technology platform for liquid and solid tumors is a variation on CAR-T therapy that promises enhanced efficacy with greatly reduced toxicity. Our autologous RNA-loaded dendritic cell technology for solid tumors uses amplified total tumor mRNA to program highly engineered dendritic cells to generate immune responses against neoantigens without the need to identify them. For more information visit www.coimmune.com
About Yeda
Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd. is the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Yeda currently manages approximately 500 unique patent families and has generated the highest income per researcher compared to any other academic technology transfer operation worldwide. Through the years, Yeda has contributed to the commercialization of a number of groundbreaking therapies, such as Copaxone, Rebif, Tookad®, Erbitux®, Vectibix®, Protrazza®, Humira®, and recently the CAR-T cancer therapy Yescarta®. www.yedarnd.com
About the Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, is one of the world’s top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions and offers masters’ and doctoral-level degrees across five faculties. Noted for its wide-ranging exploration of the natural and exact sciences. Institute scientists are advancing research on the human brain, artificial intelligence, computer science and encryption, astrophysics and particle physics, and they are tackling diseases such as cancer, and addressing climate change through environmental, ocean and plant sciences, and more. www.weizmann.ac.il
Investor Contact:
Lori Harrelson
Chief Financial Officer
CoImmune, Inc.
lharrelson@coimmune.com
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Berry & Company Public Relations
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