Cue Biopharma is researching cytokine-based drugs to activate T cells against tumors. Their approach delivers cytokines specifically to cancer cells for targeted treatment. The podcast discusses the advantages of cytokine-based drugs in cancer treatment, including shorter treatment time and increased overall survival. They highlight promising results in activating the immune system and mention the potential of cell therapies.
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Quick takeaways
Cue Biopharma's platform selectively targets disease-specific T cells, delivering cytokines directly to them, thereby activating the immune system to fight specific diseases while avoiding widespread immunosuppression.
QbioFama's platform addresses the challenge of non-specific effects of cytokines by selectively directing them to T cells that specifically recognize cancer antigens, achieving increased response rates and favorable tolerability profiles compared to traditional cytokine-based therapies.
Deep dives
QbioFama's Approach: Harnessing Natural Signals to Modulate Immune System
QbioFama focuses on harnessing natural signals used by the immune system to modulate itself, allowing for selective and targeted drugs. By plugging in nature's signals, called cytokines, the company creates drugs that possess specificity, selectivity, and safety. This approach is applicable to various areas, including immunotherapy of cancers and chronic infectious diseases. The platform selectively targets T cells that recognize specific antigens, such as tumor antigens, delivering cytokines directly to them. This precision allows the drugs to activate the immune system to fight specific diseases while avoiding widespread immunosuppression. The platform has shown promise in clinical trials, with single-agent activity in late-stage cancer patients and increased response rates when combined with checkpoint inhibitors.
The Power of Cytokine-Based Drug Treatments
Cytokines are potent molecules used by immune cells to modulate a range of functions, from activation to down modulation. However, the challenge with some cytokines, like IL2, is their systemic activation of the immune system, which can lead to non-specific effects. QbioFama's platform addresses this challenge by selectively directing cytokines to T cells that specifically recognize cancer antigens. This selectivity achieves a therapeutic index by sparing the majority of T cells that are not relevant to cancer antigens. By targeting the right T cells, the platform shows promising results in clinical trials, with increased response rates and favorable tolerability profiles compared to traditional cytokine-based therapies.
QbioFama's Unique Protein Engineering-Based Platform
QbioFama's platform, developed from foundational work by Dr. Steve Almo at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, allows for the formatting of protein modules on an antibody FC backbone. This enables the platform to recognize specific peptide antigens presented by specialized molecules called HLA. By selectively engaging T cell receptors specific to the peptide antigen, the platform achieves high selectivity and specificity. The platform's modularity allows for the attachment of various immune modulation signals, including cytokines, which can activate or deactivate specific T cells. This protein engineering-based approach provides a stable and manufacturable therapeutic option, with the potential to target different diseases and antigens beyond cancer, such as chronic viral infections and autoimmune diseases.
Promising Results and Future Opportunities
QbioFama's innovative approach has shown promising results in clinical trials, demonstrating single-agent activity and increased response rates when combined with checkpoint inhibitors. The platform's ability to activate the immune system in a selective and specific manner offers potential benefits, including improved overall survival, reduced toxicity, and durable responses. The company is planning to engage with regulatory agencies for registration trials, aiming to make its therapies accessible to more patients. With the modularity of the platform and the opportunity to target various solid cancers and other diseases, the potential impact on patient outcomes is significant. QbioFama's goal is to provide a transformative solution that goes beyond extending life by a few months, with the hope of achieving durable responses and potential cures for patients.
As September 8 is Stand Up To Cancer Day, one area of promising research lies in cytokine-based drugs, which have the potential to activate T cells against tumors. Historically, toxicity from systemic cytokine treatment has remained a challenge, prompting several companies to explore ways to “engineer” drugs with modified cytokine molecules like interleukin 2 (IL-2) for targeted and safer delivery.
Cue Biopharma is a standout in this field, harnessing nature’s ‘cues’ to selectively activate the immune system against cancer. Their approach overcomes IL-2’s narrow therapeutic window by directing IL-2 delivery specifically to cancer cells, targeting only disease-specific T cells.
Cue Biopharma is a Boston, U.S., based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel class of injectable biologics to selectively engage and modulate disease-specific T cells directly within the patient’s body. The company’s proprietary platform, Immuno-STAT (Selective Targeting and Alteration of T cells) and biologics are designed to harness the body’s intrinsic immune system as T cell engagers without the need for ex vivo manipulation or broad systemic immune modulation.
Anish Suri, Cue’s chief scientific officer, spoke with us about Cue Biopharma’s platform and its approach in the evolution of immunotherapies.
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