Cynata collaborates on cell therapy for cancer

Regenerative medicine company Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP) will collaborate with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) on the development of modified mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat cancer. The program will utilise the company’s proprietary Cymerus technology, which provides a potential ‘off-the-shelf’ stem cell platform for therapeutic product use.

“Cynata’s Cymerus technology is perfectly suited to the manufacturing requirements of cell-based therapies, given the fact that it produces a consistent and reliable product which we can manufacture economically at scale,” said Cynata’s managing director and CEO, Dr Ross Macdonald.

In addition, Cynata will access cell-modification technology developed at MGH under the direction of Dr Khalid Shah. Dr Shah’s team recently reported establishing a process to modify stem cells in the laboratory so that they secrete cancer-killing toxins. They have also devised a process to engineer the stem cells so that they themselves resist being killed by the toxins.

Dr Shah has previously led studies testing whether modified stem cells could facilitate delivery of purified cancer-killing toxins directly to the site of a tumour. In preclinical studies in an animal model of glioblastoma — the most common and aggressive type of brain tumour in adult humans — the treatment was found to kill cancer cells and prolong survival. Dr Shah’s group will now investigate similar modification of Cymerus MSCs.

“This new collaboration with one of the most prestigious and important medical centres in the world is a logical extension of our product development plans,” said Dr Macdonald.

Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP) shares were trading 14.29% higher at $0.48 as of around 3.30 pm on Wednesday.