C&G Editor in Chief, Erin Harris

1. CGT 2023: A Look Ahead 10/7/2022

   Once a month, my Life Science Connect editorial colleagues and I meet to discuss the most pressing topics in our respective coverage areas to learn from each other and to address any overlaps (hint: there are always many overlapping issues). Fresh off our most recent meeting, I thought I’d share with you what we covered and what are just some of the topics and trends Cell & Gene will continue to cover into next year.

2. Breakdown Of Cell & Gene Live: Advancements In Targeted mRNA Delivery 9/21/2022

   During our Cell & Gene Live, Advancements in Targeted mRNA Delivery, Dr. Murat Kalayoglu, CEO of Cartesian Therapeutics, Walter Strapps, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of Carver Biosciences, and I spent the hour talking about the delivery of mRNA-based therapeutics. Our expert panelists discussed the specific challenges and opportunities in delivering conventional RNA therapeutics clinically, as well as the specific challenges and opportunities in delivering the RNA cell therapies clinically. You can view the full-length presentation here. For your convenience, we’ve broken down the hour into bite-size chunks based on the important topics we discussed throughout the hour.

3. Capstan Therapeutics’ Next Steps For In Vivo CAR Therapies 9/19/2022

   Capstan Therapeutics is a brand-new biotech company dedicated to developing and delivering precise in vivo cell engineering to patients. With $165 million in financing, Capstan Therapeutics aims to build on the foundational insights of leaders in mRNA and cell therapy from the University of Pennsylvania. Laura Shawver, Ph.D., leads the company as President and CEO, and on the heels of the biotech’s recent news, I caught up with her to learn more about the company’s plans for developing in vivo CAR therapies.

4. August 2022 on Cell & Gene: The Podcast 8/31/2022

   In case you missed it, we have featured some of the cell and gene therapy sector’s best and brightest luminaries on Cell & Gene: The Podcast to discuss everything from the future of CAR-T therapy to stem cell-derived treatment for Type 1 diabetes to best practices in partnering with a CDMO. Here’s a look back at August’s episodes.

5. bluebird bio’s $2.8 Million Zynteglo 8/19/2022

   bluebird bio’s gene therapy, which will be branded as Zynteglo, is the third gene therapy overall and the first ex vivo lentiviral-based gene therapy to be approved in the U.S. The potentially one-time gene therapy treats adult and pediatric patients with beta-thalassemia who require regular red blood cell transfusions. Beta-thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that causes an oxygen shortage in the body and often leads to liver and heart issues.

6. Nurix Tx, CBM On Scaling Auto & Allo Therapies 8/11/2022

   Cell & Gene Live events cover some of the timeliest topics facing the CGT sector. Our most recent Cell & Gene Live, Scaling Cell Therapies: Auto Vs. Allo, is one such event. This Cell & Gene Live’s focus centered on the need to develop processes that scalable and suitable for a manufacturing environment to scale auto and allo therapies. Michael Blackton, SVP Cell Therapy Manufacturing at Nurix Therapeutics and John Lee, VP Head of Cell Therapy at Center for Breakthrough Medicines shared their expertise from the biopharma and CDMO points of view, respectively.

7. Talaris’ Cell Therapy for Organ Rejection 8/1/2022

   Inside the allogeneic stem cell therapies developed to potentially treat rare autoimmune diseases.

8. Glimmers Of Hope For Solid Tumors 7/28/2022

   On a recent episode of Cell & Gene: The Podcast, Dr. Carl June and I discussed the future of solid tumors.

9. Omega Therapeutics’ Approach To Epigenetics 7/25/2022

   Omega Therapeutics received IND clearance from the FDA to begin trials evaluating its precision approach to epigenetics.

10. TC BioPharm’s In-House Clinical Trials 7/13/2022

    Of the topics TC BioPharm’s CEO Bryan Kobel and I discussed on Cell & Gene: The Podcast, it’s the publicly-traded, clinical stage cell therapy biotech’s commitment to U.K.-based in-house clinical trials that struck me most. Indeed, TC BioPharm conducts and manages its own clinical trials using its in-house team. The company boasts a progressive approach to clinical trials, which enables the ability to explore the therapeutic potential of its co-stim CAR product candidate, while working towards an effective treatment for patients in de-risked early studies.