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New Developments in Cancer Therapies: TLA_Finder – A project to advance a platform for the discovery and characterization of TCR-Like Antibodies
Danish biotechnology company Immunitrack is awarded a grant from the Innovation Fund Denmark to further advance a novel platform to discover and characterize T-cell receptor like antibodies (TCR-LAs). Immunitrack will partner up with experts from the National Center for Cancer ImmuneTherapy (CCIT-DK) at Herlev and Gentofte hospital to optimise this platform that can aid in the generation of highly specific and efficient antibody-based cancer treatments.
Cancer is a leading cause of death that accounts for 1 in every 6 deaths around the world. This highlights a significant unmet need for the development of better cancer therapeutics.
While cancer immunotherapies such as check-point inhibitors have proven revolutionising for cancer treatment – these treatments are only efficient for a subset of cancer types, and many patients are not responding.
TCR-LAs also known as TCR mimics (TCRm) offer a promising approach, for better cancer treatment. TCR-LAs are T-cell receptor mimicking monoclonal antibodies that function like traditional TCRs to recognize and bind peptide–HLA complexes. TCR-LA offer the advantage of both being potent, and a highly personalized off-the-shelf therapeutic. Some of the challenges with developing these novel therapeutics reside in discovering TCR-LA that are highly specific molecules towards specific peptide-HLA targets presented by the cancer cells.
The TLA_Finder project is addressing these challenges, by advancing its platform for mapping the best peptide-HLA cancer targets, as well as robust characterisation of TCR-LA molecules. Within the TLA_Finder project, Immunitrack has partnered up with CCIT-DK. The parties have been granted DKK 5.5 million from the Innovation Fund Denmark to carry out the project. If successful, this platform will become a best-in-class TCR-LA characterization platform and will ensure Denmark’s leading role in the development of novel cancer therapeutics for the benefit of patients globally.
Immunitrack’s CEO, Dr. Stephan Thorgrimsen had this to say about receiving the grant “We are grateful for the support from Innovation Fund Denmark and are looking forward to further strengthen our collaboration with CCIT-DK. TLA_Finder marks an important milestone in advancing our TCR_LA platform and positioning us as leaders within this rapidly advancing therapeutic field.”
Contact
Dr. Stephan Thorgrimsen, CEO, Immunitrack ApS
Tel. +45 28 68 21 59 · Mail: sthor@immunitrack.com
Line Skouboe, communications advisor, Innovation Foundation
Tel. 61 90 50 39 · Mail: line.skouboe@innofond.dk