Principal Investigator:
Elie Haddad
CHU Sainte-Justine
Project of $2 564 269 over 3 years
- Supported by CQDM through:
Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie du Québec (MEIE) - And by a co-funding partner:
- Brain Canada
- Immugenia
Challenge
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and common brain tumor. With a 10-year survival rate of approximately 1%, new disruptive therapy is direly needed. The treatment involving “CAR T” therapy, in which patients’ T lymphocytes (white blood cells with the ability to kill) are modified to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to recognize tumor cells, has been shown to induce long-term remission in patients with malignant blood tumors. However, it has failed so far in solid tumor.
Solution
The CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), University of Ottawa and Immugenia are joining forces and expertise to propose a disruptive solution: utilizing hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) rather than T cells for delivering CAR therapy to patients with glioblastoma. Introducing the CAR into HSCs presents challenges. Indeed, it would lead to an expression in all blood cells, posing safety risks for patients. CHUSJ invention enables the restriction of a CAR expression specifically to T and NK cells, which are the primary immune cells responsible for attacking tumors. This approach is anticipated to: 1) ensure a continuous generation of CAR-expressing cells; 2) mitigate side effects through a gradual delivery; 3) synergize the effects of CAR therapy on both T and NK cells; and 4) establish an ongoing surveillance mechanism for detecting relapses.
Expected Achievements/Impact:
The team aims to establish a proof-of-concept by hypothesizing that the exploitation of HSC with a CAR is effective against GBM. A Quebec-based biotech start-up company, Immugenia, that focuses on stem-cell-based immunotherapies, will be a key partner in the next steps toward the clinical trials and for commercialization. The data stemming from the proposed project will allow Immugenia to grow its portfolio of drugs in development, fast-track its R&D program, attract investors, and create high-quality jobs within the Province of Quebec and Canadian biotechnology ecosystem. These results will pave the way for new treatments and clinical trials aimed at curing patients with GBM, ultimately addressing such an urgent, unmet medical need.