C&G Editor in Chief, Erin Harris

1. Inside CARISMA Therapeutics’ Fast Track Designation By The FDA 9/26/2021

   Last year, I wrote an article about CARISMA Therapeutics’ foundational technology evaluating the potential of human chimeric antigen receptor macrophages (CAR-M) for cancer immunotherapy. CARISMA Therapeutics is making waves again with its recent news that it has been granted Fast Track Designation by the FDA to its CT-0508 for the treatment of patients with solid tumors. CARISMA’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Debora Barton, and I connected right after the announcement about the unmet needs of patients living with solid tumor cancer and how CARISMA’s CAR-Ms combine a unique set of characteristics, which they believe are the key to success in the treatment of solid tumors.

2. CAR-T, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, & CT Scans 9/14/2021

   Over time, Cell & Gene has covered CAR-T therapy and CLL specifically, and the various documents are included in this article.

3. The Potential Of Ion Channel-Based Therapeutics 9/8/2021

   Saniona is a rare disease-focused biotech based in Massachusetts and Denmark. Jørgen Drejer, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Saniona brought me up to speed on the biotech’s targeted treatments for rare diseases, specifically within CNS / neurology. We also discussed potential of ion channel-based therapeutics and what they mean for the future of rare disease treatment.

4. New Cell and Gene Therapy Approaches to Osteoarthritis 8/30/2021

   Osteoarthritis is a major inflammatory disease, and advancements in cell and gene therapy are making quantifiable strides in helping its patient population.

5. How Xalud Therapeutics Gene Therapy Platform Tackles Chronic Inflammatory Diseases 8/30/2021

   Xalud Therapeutics' Dr. Diem Nguyen explains the company's gene therapy platform designed to tackle chronic inflammatory diseases.

6. Inside Slingshot Biosciences’ On-Demand Synthetic Cell Platform 8/17/2021

   Slingshot Biosciences' recent funding will enable the company to accelerate the commercialization of its synthetic cell products spanning controls, diagnostics, and adoptive cell therapies.

7. Inside Cell & Gene Live: The Therapeutic Potential of Exosomes 8/17/2021

   Our most recent Cell & Gene Live, The Therapeutic Potential of Exosomes, featured three expert panelists who shared their insights on the future of exosome development.

8. Fast Track Designation for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma 7/30/2021

   Many effective treatments for multiple myeloma exist, but it is currently incurable. This means that even after successful treatment has provided a period of remission or stable disease, myeloma will return. When this happens, it’s called recurrent or relapsed. If the myeloma does not respond to treatment or comes back within 60 days after the last dose of treatment, it is known as refractory.  Enter Allogene Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech that develops allogeneic CAR therapies for cancer including relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

9. New Discoveries For Hemophilia A 7/30/2021

   The Mayo Clinic describes Hemophilia A as a rare, inherited disorder in which the blood doesn't clot normally, because it lacks sufficient blood-clotting proteins (clotting factors). People with hemophilia may bleed for a longer time after an injury than they would if their blood clotted normally. Hemophilia A, also known as classical hemophilia, is a genetic bleeding disorder caused by insufficient levels of a blood protein called factor VIII, which is a clotting factor.

10. Penn Medicine’s CEO On Hospitals And Complex Therapies 7/26/2021

    On this episode of Cell & Gene: The Podcast, University of Pennsylvania Health System’s CEO Kevin Mahoney and I talk about how hospital systems must evolve to meet the needs of cell and gene therapy patients as these complex therapies are commercialized.