Medigene : presented selective killing of tumor cells by PRAME TCR-transduced T cells at AACR

Martinsried/Munich - -
3D co-cultured healthy cells survive in method for evaluation of TCR efficacy and toxicity

Researchers of Medigene AG presented a new pre-clinical method for the evaluation of efficacy and toxicity of TCRs (T cell receptors) in co-cultures of healthy and tumor cells at the 2019 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting (AACR). The presented poster, which is now publicly available, provided further insights beyond those included in the abstract that was published at the end of February 2019.

In the tissues of cancer patients, tumor cells and healthy cells live in tight association, as mixed communities. In order to test new TCR candidates under simulation of real-life conditions, Medigene has developed an innovative method to co-culture healthy cells together with tumor cells in 3D spheroids, where differential impacts of TCR-transduced T cells (TCR-Ts) can be assessed for individual cell populations grown as mixed communities. On the poster presented at AACR, Medigene showed that e.g. lung fibroblasts can be grown together with lung carcinoma cells. After adding PRAME TCR-Ts, only the lung carcinoma cells were killed, whereas the neighboring healthy lung fibroblasts remained unaffected. Thus, bystander toxicity of healthy cells was not seen as major destruction of tumor cells occurred.

Medigene has previously used 3D spheroids generated from tumor cell lines or healthy cells for the assessment of TCR efficacy and potential TCR-derived toxicity at the level of separate cell populations which do not allow bystander effects of highly active TCR-Ts to be judged.

The poster with full details is available on Medigene's company website: https://www.medigene.com/technologies/abstracts

About Medigene's TCR-Ts: Medigene's first TCR-T candidate, MDG1011, is in a Phase I/II clinical trial for various blood cancer indications started in 2018. The TCR-T technology aims at arming the patient's own T cells with tumor-specific T cell receptors. The receptor-modified T cells are then able to detect and efficiently kill tumor cells. This immunotherapy approach attempts to overcome the patient's tolerance towards cancer cells and tumor-induced immunosuppression by activating and modifying the patient's T cells outside the body (ex vivo). TCR-T therapy is developed to utilize a higher number of potential tumor antigens than other T cell-based immunotherapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy.

Medigene is establishing a pipeline of recombinant T cell receptors and has a collaboration with bluebird bio, Inc. for the development of six TCR-Ts.

Medigene AG (FSE: MDG1, ISIN DE000A1X3W00, Prime Standard) is a publicly listed biotechnology company headquartered in Martinsried near Munich, Germany. The company is developing highly innovative immunotherapies to target various forms and stages of cancer. Medigene concentrates on the development of personalized T cell-based therapies with the focus on T cell receptor-modified T cells (TCR-Ts) and has projects currently in preclinical and clinical development.

For more information, please visit http://medigene.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements representing the opinion of Medigene as of the date of this release. The actual results achieved by Medigene may differ significantly from the forward-looking statements made herein. Medigene is not bound to update any of these forward-looking statements. Medigene® is a registered trademark of Medigene AG. This trademark may be owned or licensed in select locations only.

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