Technology
Biological Payload Delivery
Advances in gene therapy, cell therapy, and oncolytic immunotherapy have shown great potential to treat cancer and other challenging diseases. These therapies utilize biological payloads such as DNA, mRNA, and viruses, but the immune system can easily identify and clear these biological payloads, presenting a major roadblock to the success of these therapies.
We have developed an innovative cell nano-membrane coating technology to protect biological payloads (such as therapeutic viruses) from immune system clearance, removing a major hurdle to the successful therapies of cancers and other diseases.
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The body's immune system provides aggressive defense against external pathogens, which is a true blessing for all of us.
However, when it comes to gene therapy and oncolytic viral immunotherapy, the aggressive defense by the immune system works against the therapy by removing the therapeutic payloads.
Coastar's ENHEnSTM technology solves the problem.
How It Works
We coat biological payloads (such as DNA, mRNA, and therapeutic viruses) with a layer of cell membrane, which can shield the payloads from immune system detection and clearance.
Membrane lipid is purified from cells. The rest of the cells is removed and discarded.
The cell membrane stock is then combined with biological payload (such as viruses) using our proprietary coating process. The combined payload and coating constitute the product.
Cell membranes contain self-identifying proteins that signal to the immune system that they are part of the body’s own. An example of such proteins is CD-47 on red blood cell membranes, which serves as the “don’t eat me” signal.
Biological payloads coated with cell membrane can avoid detection by immune cells and antibodies. They can be safely delivered to tumor or sites of other diseases.
We have administered DNA and viruses (such as Adenovirus, Vaccinia, HSV and AAV) in wild type mouse by IV injection.
When coated with cell membrane, these payloads are able to remain in circulation at much higher concentration than uncoated viruses. This demonstrates that the cell membrane coating can effectively help systemically administered payloads avoid immune clearance.
Our study indicates that even when directly injected into tumor, coated oncolytic viruses are able to more effectively limit tumor growth compared to uncoated viruses. The issue of immune clearance is present inside the tumor, and our cell membrane coating can protect oncolytic viruses and enhance their efficacy.
The Value Proposition
Coastar's cell membrane coating technology will bring a wide range of benefits to therapies of cancer and other diseases. Our value proposition is four fold, as depicted in this diagram
Higher Efficacy: avoiding immune clearance means more payload is delivered to disease site which results in enhanced efficacy
More Applications: Payloads can be systemically delivered to their targets, such as sites previously difficult-to-reach or metastatic tumors
Minimal Toxicity: Our coating is similar to blood transfusion in terms of toxicity
Lower Cost: Fewer antibodies are generated against the cell membrane coated payloads, which translates into lower dosage and lower cost