AI startup Immunai and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) recently conducted a study that revealed the role of BTG1 as a new molecular target for enhancing the effectiveness of natural killer T (NKT) and T cell-based cancer immunotherapy. The study leveraged Immunai's state-of-the-art multiomics platform in exploring and refining therapeutics, which extends to a variety of cell therapies and other immune-altering therapies within oncology and inflammatory diseases. Immunai's platform was employed to scrutinize clinical samples from an ongoing trial at BCM, leading to the identification of BTG1 as a key contributor to NKT cell hypo-responsiveness.
Targeting BTG1 promises to amplify CAR-NKT cell anti-tumor function, potentially improving the efficacy of NKT and T cell therapy products in eradicating malignant cells. Extensive in-vitro and in-vivo studies were conducted by BCM to corroborate the anti-tumor activity of CAR-NKT cells modified to target BTG1.
The breakthrough is significant as it opens new avenues for more effective and targeted immunotherapies for various malignancies and diseases. Immunai's advanced single-cell RNA sequencing technology has enabled precise measurement of gene expression changes in individual CAR-NKT cells, pre and post-infusion into patients.
Further collaborations could lead to novel treatment options, development of more efficacious cancer immunotherapy, enhancing clinical- and ultimately patient-outcomes globally.