MaxCyte and Moonlight Bio Partner to Advance T Cell Therapies for Solid Tumors
Breakthrough Clinical Results
MaxCyte and Moonlight Bio have entered into a Strategic Platform License agreement. Moonlight Bio will utilize MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform for the development and manufacturing of its T cell therapy pipeline, targeting solid tumors. The agreement grants Moonlight Bio non-exclusive rights to MaxCyte's technology in exchange for licensing fees and program-related revenue for MaxCyte. Moonlight Bio aims to develop more potent T cell therapies to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
Key Highlights
- MaxCyte partners with Moonlight Bio to advance T cell therapies.
- Moonlight Bio will use MaxCyte's Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform.
- The collaboration focuses on developing T cell therapies for solid tumors.
- MaxCyte will receive licensing fees and program-related revenue.
Emerging Mechanism of Action
Emerging Mechanisms of Action for Solid Tumors
Recent publications reveal several innovative mechanisms of action for treating solid tumors:
Molecular Targeting Approaches
The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway has emerged as a critical target, with novel compound W934 demonstrating effectiveness as an inhibitor in non-small-cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer cells. Similarly, receptor tyrosine kinases represent a vulnerability exploited by over forty approved small molecule inhibitors for adult solid tumors.
RAS/MAPK pathway alterations drive many pediatric low-grade gliomas and NF1-related plexiform neurofibromas, with multiple small molecule inhibitors advancing through clinical trials.
Metabolic and Mitochondrial Targeting
Mitochondrial function inhibition affects glycolysis pathways, cell bioenergy, and cell viability, offering a strategy for eradicating cancer stem cells. Novel dextran-based nano-assemblies specifically target ROS-sensitive mitochondria and deplete intracellular glutathione (GSH), generating reactive oxygen species to eliminate tumors.
The combination of auranofin with CyPPA induces massive mitochondrial damage in neuroblastoma cells and glioblastoma neurospheres while sparing non-cancerous cells.
Autophagy Modulation
Autophagy inhibition combined with chemotherapy has shown promising results, with UAMC-2526 plus gemcitabine significantly reducing tumor growth in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Conversely, core-shell nanoinducers can trigger excessive autophagy using near-infrared light through Cu(II)-to-Cu(I) photoreduction and NO release.
Metallodrug Development
Metal-based medicines including ruthenium, gold, copper, iridium, and osmium complexes show effectiveness against many cancer cell lines with wider functions than organic molecules. New Casiopeínas molecules (copper complexes) with β-aminoacidate derivatives have been evaluated against breast cancer and lung cancer cell lines.
Nanoparticle Therapies
Gold nanoparticles (AuHC) with dual ligands demonstrate outstanding photothermal conversion efficiency (27.8%) for thermal ablation of tumors, reducing HeLa cell survival rate to 12.7% after laser irradiation and overcoming drug-resistant tumor cells.
Repurposed Medications
Anthelmintic benzimidazoles (albendazole, mebendazole, flubendazole) are being repurposed due to their effects on microtubules and oncogenic signaling pathways. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists show potential in inhibiting cancer cell growth and inducing apoptosis in various carcinomas.
Immunomodulatory Approaches
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) targeting approaches include reprogramming TAMs toward anti-tumor function, blockade of recruitment, and reduction of TAMs. Combination therapy of debulking surgery, chemoradiation, and intratumor dendritic cell vaccination has shown promise in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Epigenetic Regulation
Histone methylation regulated by lysine demethylases plays crucial roles in cancer development and drug resistance by modulating cancer cell metabolism, enhancing cancer stem cell ratios, and elevating drug-tolerant gene expression.
Key Unmet Needs and Targeted Populations for Solid Tumors
Major Unmet Needs
Tumor heterogeneity remains a significant challenge for solid tumor treatment, limiting the efficacy of various immunotherapies including CAR-T cell therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) presents a major barrier, characterized by a dense structure that inhibits therapeutic penetration, local immunosuppression that reduces treatment efficacy, and fewer immune cells compared to hematological malignancies.
Poor trafficking and infiltration of therapeutic agents into solid tumors significantly hampers treatment effectiveness. Life-threatening toxicity associated with some immunotherapies, particularly when combining checkpoint inhibitors with costimulatory agonists, remains concerning. Additionally, there is a lack of precise representative immunocompetent research models for studying solid tumor treatments.
Specific Tumor Types with Unmet Needs
Malignant pleural mesothelioma has a median survival of only 8-14 months, with few biomarkers and no cure available. For pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, current treatments show limited efficacy and severe side effects, requiring earlier detection methods and more effective treatments.
In metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, a notable proportion of individuals do not benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors, with limited understanding of resistance mechanisms. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma lacks randomized controlled studies for metastatic disease due to its extreme rarity.
Salivary gland cancers show limited response to antiandrogen therapy, with only 4.3% of patients having confirmed partial responses with enzalutamide. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients show responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors in less than 20% of cases, with high primary/secondary resistance.
Pediatric non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas have poor outcomes for metastatic disease, with 3-year event-free survival and overall survival at only 15.4% and 34.9% respectively.
Targeted Patient Populations
Recent literature identifies several specific populations being targeted for interventions:
- Metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients with sarcomatoid differentiation receiving cabozantinib
- Young adults with extremity soft-tissue sarcomas who represent 14.3% of patients and receive different treatment patterns than older patients
- Small (≤1 cm), node-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer patients where treatment choices are influenced by age, tumor size, and hormone receptor status
- Rectal cancer patients with good response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy
- Locally advanced head and neck cancer patients receiving cetuximab
- Adolescents and young adults with cancer near end of life, where 56% received systemic cancer-directed therapy in the last 90 days
- Older patients (over 70) with metastatic bladder cancer where nutritional status predicts survival
- RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases who are often heavily pretreated
Clinical trial participation faces barriers including financial toxicity from out-of-pocket costs (68%) and long travel time (1-4.5 hours among 57% of patients), highlighting the need for decentralization and recruitment strategies to address inequities in access.
Company drugs in pipeline
MaxCyte's Drug Pipeline Indications
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