Immune stealthed CAR T-cells from iPSCs for allogeneic transplantation: Engineering next-generation cancer immunotherapy

Project partners: Anglia Ruskin University & Cambridge RNA Technologies

Project focus area: Health

This project aims to advance cancer immunotherapy by engineering T cells for allogeneic transplantation. Cambridge RNA Technologies has developed a novel approach for hiding allogenic cells from the recipient immune system that is significantly safer and more time/cost efficient than conventional methods involving complete Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) knockout.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have shown strong clinical efficacy. However, the technology currently relies on using the patient’s own (autologous) cells which results in high cost, complex logistics, and limited global accessibility. Emerging strategies to create off-the-shelf CAR T-cell products, suitable for use in most patients, involve using healthy donor primary cells or differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into T cells. These allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies face a key barrier: host immune rejection mediated by HLA recognition, similar to rejection in organ transplantation.

To address this, the project partners will integrate a proprietary, genetically engineered “immune stealthing” cassette—developed by Cambridge RNA Technologies—into CAR T-cells derived from both healthy donors and iPSCs. This single, modular, construct containing both the CAR and immune modulation cassette, enables simple delivery and immune evasion without the risks associated with full HLA deletion, such as vulnerability to persistent viral infection. By combining scalable iPSC-derived T-cell production with novel immune compatibility technology, this project seeks to develop a next-generation, universal donor CAR T-cell therapy. The resulting platform has the potential for broad applicability, improved safety, and enhanced therapeutic efficacy – offering a more accessible treatment option for immunotherapy patients within and beyond cancer.

For more information

For more information on this project, contact us, or view all Engineering Biology SPARK Award winners.

This project funding is part of the Engineering Biology Innovation Network, led by Innovate UK Business Connect in collaboration with Innovate UK and UKRI’s Technology Mission Fund. The network’s goal is to progress innovations, create a commercially focused community and foster new consortia to advance innovations towards commercial applications.