Gerard Rubi-Sans provides an in-depth overview of MiNK Therapeutics' innovative cell therapy programme, focusing on their most advanced project, the MiNK-215 CAR-iNKT cell therapy. MiNK Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company dedicated to developing unique off-the-shelf cell therapies using invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells). These iNKT cells offer significant advantages over traditional CAR T cell strategies, including the elimination of graft-versus-host rejection potential.
The presentation highlights the company's robust pipeline of allogeneic products, which involve engineering CARs and TCRs into iNKT cells and using bispecific engagers to enhance their activity against tumour cells. MiNK Therapeutics is conducting various clinical trials in oncology and immune-mediated diseases, demonstrating the clinical benefits and favourable safety profile of iNKT cells.
The MiNK-215 project targets the fibroblast activation protein (FAP), which is highly upregulated in tumour-promoting cells and is associated with more than 90% of epithelial-derived solid malignancies. The MiNK-215 molecule is an IL-15 armoured allogeneic FAP-CAR-iNKT designed to target stromal solid tumours. It comprises an anti-FAP fully human binding site, an intracellular domain for persistence and activation, and soluble IL-15 to improve iNKT survival.
The presentation details the hypothesised mechanism of action of MiNK-215, which involves directly targeting FAP-expressing cells and recruiting tumour-targeting T cells within the tumour microenvironment. The combination of MiNK-215 iNKTs and tumour-targeting T cells has shown significant improvement in survival in surrogate mouse models. The company has transitioned from using animal models to 3D models to predict the efficacy and toxicity of their CAR-iNKT cells more accurately and cost-effectively.
The 3D model replicates the tumour microenvironment's complexity, allowing for the study of physiological interactions and the effects of iNKT cells. The MiNK-215 project has demonstrated strong preclinical efficacy against non-small cell lung cancer tumour models, validating its mode of action. The company aims to further enhance the tumour microenvironment complexity and establish a drug screening platform combining MiNK-215 iNKT cells with other therapeutic agents.
