MD Anderson Cancer Center entered into a collaboration with CytomX Therapeutics to research Probody-enabled chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cell therapies, to be known as ProCAR-NK cell therapies.
MD Anderson will develop allogeneic umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood derived NK-cell therapies and combine it with CytomX’s Probody technology to address new targets for this novel modality in cancer immunotherapy. Designed for more precise binding to tumors and reduced binding to healthy tissue, the therapies will be created against targets for which safety and toxicity have traditionally been limiting factors for CAR cell therapies.
Under the collaboration, CytomX and MD Anderson will develop ProCAR-NK cell therapies against multiple targets, and CytomX will have the option to license therapeutics that demonstrate preclinical proof of concept for clinical and commercial development.
From MD Anderson, the collaboration will be led by Katy Rezvani and Elizabeth Shpall, professors in the department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.
