We are preclinically developing FT522, an off-the-shelf, multiplexed-engineered, iPSC-derived CAR NK cell immunotherapy derived from a clonal master iPSC line. FT522 incorporates five novel synthetic controls of cell function, and is designed to enable dual-antigen targeting of CD19 and CD20 antigens expressed on B cells and to promote functional persistence through Company’s alloimmune defense receptor (ADR) technology.
Preclinical proof-of-concept data for FT522 presented at the 2022 ASH Annual Meeting showed that, in a disseminated Nalm6 leukemia model comprised of allo-reactive T cells and tumor cells resistant to T-cell killing (MHC class 1-null), iPSC-derived CAR NK cells armed with ADR technology exhibited potent effector function in vivo compared to ADR-null, iPSC-derived CAR NK cells, suggesting that ADR-armed CAR NK cells can functionally persist, proliferate, and durably kill tumor cells while resisting rejection by allo-reactive T cells.
In addition to our plans for the clinical investigation of FT522 in relapsed / refractory B-cell lymphoma, we are assessing in preclinical studies the potential to expand our FT522 program beyond oncology into autoimmunity.
