Cell & Gene: The Podcast

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message.Christopher Horan, Chief Technical Operations Officer, Artiva Biotherapeutics joins Cell & Gene: The Podcast Host, Erin Harris, to discuss the advantages natural killer (NK) cells have offer over T cells in terms of safety and efficacy for autoimmune disease. They take a deep dive into the key factors that make NK cells promising for ‘off-the-shelf’ cell therapy products. They cover Artiva's "manufacturing first" approach to enabling scalable NK cell production, and much more.Subscribe to the podcast!Apple | Spotify | YouTube

Christopher Choi, Ph.D., is an expert in cell and gene therapy manufacturing and the Director of the GMP Facility at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. In this discussion, he reveals plans for a new Cell and Gene Therapy Hub set to open in 2025, aimed at advancing cancer treatment. Choi emphasizes the critical role of automation in manufacturing and shares valuable advice for emerging biotech firms on quality management, project coordination, and the importance of a quality by design approach to improve market readiness.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message.Cell & Gene: The Podcast Host Erin Harris talks to Lothar Roessig, M.D., SVP, Integrated Product Team Lead, Congestive Heart Failure at Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio) about the biggest challenges in developing gene therapies for cardiovascular diseases, specifically congestive heart failure (CHF). They discuss AB-1002, the gene therapy the company is developing for the treatment of CHF and why a gene therapy approach is significantly different from traditional therapies.Subscribe to the podcast!Apple | Spotify | YouTube

Dr. Amit Rhakit is the Chief Medical Officer at BlueRock Therapeutics, where he focuses on cutting-edge cell therapies for Parkinson's disease. He delves into how their therapy, bemdaneprocel, restores dopamine-producing neurons, contrasting it with conventional treatments. The discussion highlights the significant benefits these advancements could have on patient quality of life. Rhakit also shares insights on the personal stories of those living with Parkinson's, emphasizing the transformative potential of innovative therapies in managing symptoms.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message.Rita Johnson-Greene, COO at Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) joined Cell & Gene: The Podcast Host, Erin Harris, on site during 2024 Meeting on the Mesa to record their discussion. Johnson-Greene shared information about the Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA) in Europe and its potential impact on cell and gene therapies, how globalization impacts patient access, an update on ARM's Grow Internship Program, as well as a few key takeaways from the event that sector professionals can anticipate impacting the CGTs in the next 12 months and beyond.Subscribe to the podcast!Apple | Spotify | YouTube

Dennis Williams, Senior Vice President of Late Stage Development at Adaptimmune, dives into the revolutionary world of TCR T-cell therapies. He shares insights on the TECELRA trial, which achieved FDA approval for Tecelra, a groundbreaking engineered T-cell therapy for solid tumors. The conversation highlights the intricacies of developing therapies for synovial sarcoma and the unique challenges in this field. Williams also compares TCR and CAR T-cell therapies, shedding light on their distinct advantages and the complexities of off-target effects in treatment.

Miguel Forte, CEO of Kiji Therapeutics and President of ISCT, shares his insights on iPSC-MSC therapy for inflammatory diseases. He discusses Kiji's innovative approach to tackling conditions like graft-versus-host disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis through advanced clinical trials. The conversation highlights the significance of strategic funding and global collaboration in biotechnology. Forte also reflects on the opportunities presented at ARM's meeting and the importance of networking for future technological advancements.

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message.Carsten Linnemann, Ph.D., CEO of Neogene Therapeutics and Head of Oncology Cell Therapy Clinical Development, AstraZeneca joins Cell & Gene: The Podcast’s Erin Harris to discuss T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies for solid cancers. They talk through key challenges and opportunities in developing TCR therapies targeting neoantigens as well as the potential benefits of TCR-T therapies for cancer treatment. Linnemann shares his thoughts on the future landscape of cell therapy in oncology and beyond. Previous episodes of Cell & Gene: The Podcast have focused on TCR therapies, including Episode 50, featuring Affini-T Therapeutics’ Co-Founder, CEO, and President Dr. Jak Knowles. Be sure to check out that episode, too. https://www.cellandgene.com/doc/targeting-oncogenic-drivers-for-solid-tumor-cancers-with-affini-t-therapeutics-dr-jak-knowles-0001Subscribe to the podcast!Apple | Spotify | YouTube

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message.Ray Therapeutics' Co-Founder and CEO, Paul Bresge, joins Host Erin Harris to talk about optogenetics and how the company’s optogenetics approach differs from other gene therapies on the market developed to restore vision in retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa.Subscribe to the podcast!Apple | Spotify | YouTube

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message.Tessera Therapeutics' CEO, Dr. Michael Severino, joins Host Erin Harris to discuss Gene Writing, the biotech's genome engineering technology that writes therapeutic messages into the genome to treat diseases at their source. Severino discusses why delivery has always been a challenge for gene editing technologies and why Gene Writing is different when it comes to efficient delivery.Subscribe to the podcast!Apple | Spotify | YouTube