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Advancing bispecific engagers for Natural Killer (NK) cell immunotherapy in pediatric gliomas

External Institution: Purdue University

External Collaborators: Marxa Figueiredo, PhD; Sandro Matosevic, PhD

FDA Collaborators: Elizabeth Duke, MD; Alexander Zhovmer, PhD; Wendy Weinberg, PhD; Jeffery Summers, MD;  Zhihong Wang, MD; Martha Donoghue, MD

Date Started: October 2024

Regulatory Science Challenge

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a rare and aggressive form of childhood brain cancer for which there is no known cure. There are a lack of reliable models and targeted therapies for DIPG, which contributes to limited treatments and poor prognosis. Development and evaluation of new models and effective therapy options for patients with DIPG are needed. Recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy may offer opportunities for the development of new strategies to target and treat DIPG. 

Project Description and Goals

The overall objective of this research is to create Natural Killer Cell Engagers (NKCE), a type of targeted immunotherapy treatment. This investigational product activates the immune system in order to better recognize and target DIPG tumor cells. The specific goals of this project are to: 1) create NKCE using gene delivery methods and test their ability to recognize markers on DIPG cells and activate immune responses; 2) assess the effectiveness of NKCE in controlling tumor growth in animal models of DIPG. 

Further Information

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