The podcast discusses how cancer cells evade the immune system, the role of macrophages in fighting cancer, genetic mutations that help cancer cells escape detection, and the potential of macrophage therapy in cancer treatment. It also delves into advanced cancer treatment trials, future research directions, and the potential use of cell therapies beyond cancer.
Activating and modifying macrophages enhances immune response to cancer by directly attacking cancer cells throughout the body.
SIRPant Immunotherapeutics' platform can be applied to diseases beyond cancer, leveraging natural immune defenses for sustained immune response.
Deep dives
Treatment Approach of Serpent Immunotherapeutics for Cancer
Serpent Immunotherapeutics focuses on activating and modifying a patient's macrophages to enhance the immune system's response to cancer. By stimulating macrophages to recognize and attack cancer cells throughout the body, the therapy aims to sustain a prolonged immune response. This approach offers advantages over traditional methods by leveraging the body's natural defenses and can potentially address immune dysfunction in diseases beyond cancer.
Role of Macrophages in the Immune System and Cancer Development
Macrophages, known as 'large eaters,' are vital white blood cells that play multiple roles in the body's defense system. They detect and eliminate foreign proteins, including cancer cells, through phagocytosis. However, cancer cells develop genetic mutations that enable them to evade detection by macrophages, leading to uncontrolled growth and metastasis. Understanding how cancer cells manipulate immune responses highlights the importance of developing therapies like Serpent Immunotherapeutics to activate macrophages against cancer.
Clinical Trials and Future Prospects of Serpent Immunotherapeutics
Serpent Immunotherapeutics' therapy, utilizing non-genetic activation of macrophages, shows promising results in animal models, successfully eliminating various cancers. In clinical trials for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the therapy demonstrates cancer-agnostic responses, indicating broad applicability. The company's future development path includes expanding trials to solid tumors and exploring potential applications in autoimmune conditions by modulating macrophage activity.
In most cases, the immune system detects and destroys cells that could become cancerous every day. For cancer to ravage the body, it needs to evade the immune system by shutting off its response. SIRPant Immunotherapeutics is seeking to address cancer by activating and modifying a patient’s own macrophages to awaken the immune system to cancer. The activated macrophages are able to recognize and directly attack cancer cells throughout the body and stimulate other parts of the immune system to sustain a prolonged attack. We spoke to Robert Towarnicki, CEO of SIRPant, about the company’s immunotherapies, the advantages they offer over other approaches, and why its platform can be applied to other diseases involving immune dysfunction beyond cancer.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode