Confirmed reduction in T cell exhaustion and cytokine release compared to existing CAR-T mesothelin targeting treatment 'SynKIR-110' Phase 1 clinical trial in the US
Verismo Therapeutics, an American subsidiary of HLB Innovation (024850), will disclose the results of preclinical research on solid tumor CAR-T treatment using the next-generation KIR-CAR platform at an international conference.
HLB Innovation announced on the 16th that Verismo will present the results of preclinical research on Mesothelin-targeted KIR-CAR T cells as a poster at the American Society of Immuno-Oncology (SITC 2026) to be held in Phoenix, Arizona, USA on November 6 (local time).
In this study, Verismo's multi-chain KIR-CAR T cells were compared with CD28 or 4-1BB-based single chain CAR-T, which is mainly used for existing CAR-T, in an in vivo preclinical model. As a result of the study, KIR-CAR showed reduced T cell exhaustion and cytokine release compared to existing CAR-T.
CAR-T treatments have proven to be highly effective in treating blood cancers, but have had difficulty maintaining treatment effects in solid cancers due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and T cell exhaustion due to continuous antigen stimulation.
Verismo's KIR-CAR platform applies a multi-chain method that mimics the KIR receptor structure of natural killer (NK) cells. Unlike the existing CAR-T, which combines antigen recognition and signaling elements in one chain, the two components are separated, and it is designed to transmit an activation signal when it recognizes the target antigen of cancer cells.
The mesothelin-targeted KIR-CAR technology used in this study was also applied to 'SynKIR-110', which Verismo is conducting phase 1 clinical trials in the United States. SynKIR-110 is being developed for patients with advanced solid cancers such as ovarian cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and mesothelioma that express mesothelin.
Verismo also announced the initial clinical results of SynKIR-110 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) this year. At the time, the study was selected for the Plenary Session and presented the possibility of development as a CAR-T treatment for solid cancer.
Brian Kim, CEO and co-founder of Verismo, said, "This study is meaningful in that it confirmed in vivo the differentiation of KIR-CAR with a multi-chain structure in reducing T cell exhaustion and cytokine release through direct comparison with existing CAR-Ts. Based on the research results, we will continue the clinical development of SynKIR-110 to open up new possibilities for solid tumor CAR-T treatment."
