Supporting CAR-engineered macrophage (CAR-M) development for blood cancers

In February 2021, LLS made an equity investment in Carisma Therapeutics to "Support CAR Macrophage Development for Blood Cancers." Carisma Therapeutics is a spin out company from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), founded by Saar Gill, M.D., Ph.D. and Michael Klichinsky, PharmD, Ph.D., SVP of Research. Early work at Penn was supported in part by LLS grants. Based on preclinical studies, the company’s highly differentiated CAR-macrophage (CAR-M) platform may have the potential to overcome challenges encountered by other cell therapies such as trafficking limitations to the tumor site, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments and the heterogeneous expression of tumor-associated antigens. Carisma is working closely with LLS TAP to develop one or more CAR-M therapies for blood cancers.