At the BioEntrepreneurship Summit 2019, the research team led by Prof. Sebastian Kobold received an m4 award for the development of the T cell therapy platform CARMOUFLAGE. T cell therapy is an effective strategy to treat hematologic malignancies, e.g. leukaemias and lymphomas. However, against solid tumors, such as pancreatic carcinoma, this therapy is hardly effective so far. The CARMOUFLAGE strategy should solve this problem.
Professor Sebastian Kobold, Bruno Cadilha, PhD student from the International Doctorate Program "i-Target", and Professor Stefan Endres developed a platform technology to enhance the effect of T cell therapies. The method is based on the genetic modification of two surface molecules of the T cells. Equipped in this way, the T cells enter the tumor more efficiently and are protected against tumor-induced immunosuppression. First preclinical studies prove the success of the strategy. The funding will be used to confirm the effect of the CARMOUFLAGE technology on other clinically relevant CAR T cell therapies and to demonstrate therapeutic safety. These are decisive steps in translating the research results into clinical application.
With the m4 Award, the Free State of Bavaria promotes innovative research projects with spin-off potential in the field of biomedicine. The prize, which is endowed with 500,000 euros, has been awarded by the cluster management agency BioM since 2011.
