Next-Generation Modular CAR-T Platform for Safer and More Effective Cancer Treatment

Rafael Moreno.

Fundació Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Spain.

CAR-T cell therapy, a technology that reprograms a patient’s immune cells to attack cancer, has shown remarkable success in blood cancers. However, it is complex, lengthy and costly to manufacture. It can also lead to antigen escape and safety issues, including cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. This project aims to develop a new generation of “Universal” CAR-T therapies (UniCAR-T) that are faster, more flexible and adaptable to different tumour types.

THOR is a modular system that combines a reusable CAR-T cell product with a portfolio of switch molecules. These switches include a high-affinity nanobody engineered to recognise a specific peptide tag and a novel non-immunogenic peptide tag that reduces off-target recognition. This creates a scalable “one cell product, many programmes” strategy in which clinicians could control which tumour antigen to target simply by changing the switch molecule.

This platform could increase access to advanced cell therapy and allow treatment to change as the tumour evolves, potentially improving survival. It could also accelerate pipeline expansion and reduce production costs, making THOR suitable for broad use across health systems.

STAGE 2