Local sensitivity

With a toolbox full of synthetic protein modules and a deal with Kite Pharma Inc. under its belt, Cell Design Labs Inc. is aiming to advance the next generation in cell-based therapies with a "smart" technology that responds to local disease environments. The company is betting its synNotch platform will dodge the cytokine storms and immunosuppression plaguing T cell therapies for cancer, and allow fine-tuned localized delivery for many indications.

Cell Design is aiming to move beyond the limitations of CAR T cells that rely on T cell signaling, which is prone to excessive or insufficient responses. Instead, it is creating cell therapies that signal independently of the endogenous machinery, using a simple system composed of a synthetic receptor construct and a gene that it controls. ...