Modiblast

Modiblast Pharma, a startup ready to enter the clinical phase with novel Dendritic Cell Therapies for liquid cancers, targets the core issue in Acute Myeloid Leukemias (AML): the extremely high rate of relapses after successful initial therapy. Our approach induces blast cells in the patient to differentiate into leukemia-specific Dendritic Cells (DCleu), which in turn trigger both innate and adaptive immune cells in blood/tissue to kill remaining/recurring blasts and generate memory cells. The combination of immunomodulators induces a patient-specific therapeutic vaccine in vivo. Thus, the individual repertoire of leukemic antigens of this patient can be presented, circumventing the need to identify and select specific target molecules. This approach entails a huge advantage compared to e.g. CAR-T: it doesn’t require complicated/expensive ex vivo procedures or GMP facilities. Our long-term goal is to provide an easy-to-use self-administered drug that can stabilize remissions or halt progression of the disease. This therapy is also intended for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and may normalize thrombocyte/neutrophil counts.