TRAMMICS: Target Receptor Activating Membrane Moiety
with Inert Cytoplasmic Stub

Introduction

Pharmaceutical Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are engineered receptors that provide new specificity for cells. Typically, these receptors graft the specificity of a monoclonal antibody onto T-cells (named CAR-T) and use this to improve their targeting properties. While the primary use of cell-based CAR-T therapy is in cancer, the potential of this technology may expand to many other markets with huge unmet medical needs like that of autoimmunity and diseases of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Throughout the last decade, the labs of Prof. Monsonego and Prof. Angel Porgador have been focusing on studies characterizing the therapeutic potential of CD4 T-cells in neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. Based on these studies, a novel transformative idea has been brought to use TRAMMICS T-cells to specifically modify therapeutic signaling pathways in target cells and tissues in a trophic manner.

The Technology

A platform for cell-based therapy inducing cell signaling pathways, applicable for inflammatory, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. This novel technology can utilize current CAR-T manufacturing and infrastructure however for other indications outside of Oncology.

Advantages

• An ultimate platform approach for promoting repair in cell/tissue of choice
• Overcome the limited capacity to cross the blood-brain-barrier
• Long-term site-specific and multi-factorial effects

Patent Status

PCT application was filed on October 2nd 2017 under the application number PCT/IL2017/051133. Pending applications in CN, EU, US, AU, CA, JP, HK and IL

Partnering

Co-development with strategic partner, Licensing out for further development

Principal Investigators

Prof. Alon Monsonego and Prof. Angel Porgador; NIBN and the Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel