Invectys’ CARGo project garners $14.2M 2020 CPRIT Award (Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas )

Invectys has received the CPRIT Award (Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas) for its CARGo project, through which it has garnered $14.2 million.

Through the CARGo project, Invectys targets a yet-unexploited immune checkpoint (ICP) named HLA-G. Normally only found at the fetal-maternal interface, HLA-G suppresses the immune system to protect the fetus from the mother’s immune response. Due to its efficiency, it is often expressed by a broad range of cancers to evade the patient’s defenses and create a micro-environment in which the immune system is largely incapacitated. However, it is virtually absent from normal cells.

The company has engineered a line of CAR-T cells capable of seeking and destroying HLA-G-bearing cells. By eliminating HLA-G+ cells, Invectys’ CAR-T cells additionally disrupt the immuno-suppressive microenvironment created by the tumor, allowing the patient’s immune system or other immuno-therapies to operate without HLA-G’s obstructive effect.

Thanks to the CPRIT Award funds, Invectys will be able to finish the remaining pre-clinical steps and bring its CAR-T cells to the clinical stage.