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NEWS


[May 25, 2020] Collaboration for allogeneic PRIME CAR-T cell therapy using CRISPR/Cas3 genome editing technology between Noile-Immune Biotech and C4U


It is a great news that Noile-Immune, one of our portfolio companies, has made a wonderful collaboration agreement with C4U having advanced genome editing technology (CRISPR/Cas3) to develop allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy. Please refer to official press release by Noile-Immune and its translated version into English below:


https://www.noile-immune.com/japanese/ニュ/20200525/


Collaboration for allogeneic PRIME CAR-T cell therapy using CRISPR/Cas3 genome editing technology between Noile-Immune Biotech and C4U.


May 25, 2020


Noile-Immune Biotech Corporation (Minato-ku, Tokyo, hereafter referred to as “Noile-Immune”) and C4U Corporation (Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, hereafter referred to as “C4U”) have entered a research collaboration to develop allogeneic CAR-T and TCR-T cell therapies to treat solid tumors, combining CRISPR/Cas3 technology and PRIME (Proliferation inducing and migration enhancing) technology.


C4U's core technology, CRISPR/Cas3, is a new genome editing technology using the CRISPR/Cas3 family, developed based on the research of Professor Tomoji Mashimo, Institute of Medical Science at University of Tokyo, who is one of founders of C4U, and Professor Junji Takeda, Institute of Microbiology at Osaka University. CRISPR/Cas3 is evaluated as having secured competitiveness against the CRISPR/Cas9 family which has been widely studied around the world, and is gaining attention as a promising genome editing technology that is not affected by the complex patent status of Cas9.


The PRIME technology, the fundamental technology of Noile-Immune, is related to cancer immunotherapy, including CAR-T, developed by Prof. Koji Tamada, a scientist and director of Noile-Immune and a professor of the Graduate School of Medicine at Yamaguchi University. Not only enhancing the function of CAR-T by producing cytokine and chemokine, it also causes patients' own intrinsic immune cells to destroy cancer cells.


"We are very pleased to work with C4U, which has a very unique and excellent genome editing technology.” said Dr.Koji Tamada of Noile-immune. “This joint project combines the PRIME CAR-T technology of Noile-immune with the genome editing technology of C4U to develop highly active CAR-T cells with allogeneic immune cells. We hope the combination of domestic technologies will create a next-generation CAR-T cell that is more versatile, can be used to treat solid cancer, and help more patients. This program aims to develop the world’s most advanced cancer immunotherapy with support of various research projects, including the ‘Regional Innovation Ecosystem Formation Program’, which is a subsidy project of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.”


“Noile-Immune’s PRIME CAR-T technology is a great technology that can be pride of the world. It has successfully overcome the effects and sustainability of CAR-T cells, which have been weak points in treating solid cancer.” said Dr. Tomoji Mashimo of C4U. “By combining our CRISPR/Cas3 genome editing technology, we believe it will provide to many patients suffering from cancer a much better, cheaper and more effective allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy compared to the existing CAR-T cell therapy."


Noile-Immune and C4U will conduct a joint research on gene-modified allogeneic immune cell therapy under this partnership. Noile-immune will be responsible for the costs necessary to carry out the joint research. In addition, the two companies have the right to own the results obtained through this joint research and to receive royalties from each other under the contract. Noile-immune will pay the success fee for C4U's technology upon its commercialization. Further details of the contract are not disclosed.


Glossary:


Genome editing technology;


Genetically modified immune cell therapy;


Allogeneic CAR-T:


 



Noile-Immune Biotech Co., Ltd. (Representative director: Hidenobu Ishiba, Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo) is a bio-venture from Yamaguchi University and the National Cancer Research Center, and develops new cancer immunotherapy mainly based on CAR-T cell therapy.


https://www.noile-immune.com/


 



C4U Co., Ltd. (President: Akira Uotani, Location: Suita City, Osaka Prefecture) is a life science start-up founded in March 2018 from Osaka University. C4U is working on the development of the basic technology for new genome editing.


http://www.crispr4u.jp/