EIC Transition is a funding program under Horizon Europe aimed at validating and demonstrating a specific technology in a relevant environment while also developing business and market readiness.
The project is coordinated by Asgard Therapeutics AB, a company developing groundbreaking technology that combines cellular reprogramming with cancer immunotherapy. The company was founded by Filipe Pereira, professor at Lund University, together with Cristiana Pires and Fábio Rosa. We asked Filipe Pereira a few questions about the project and what this funding means for the development of their technology.
What is the main focus of the project, and what are its potential applications or societal impacts?
“REPRO-TIL’s goal is to extend the clinical application of dendritic cell reprogramming for adoptive T cell transfer, implementing this technology in existing clinical protocols for cell therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The aim is to incorporate a single step in the procedure of state-of-the-art tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expansion protocols: transduction of tumor pieces with a vector that elicit the reprograming of tumor cells to dendritic cells forcing antigen presentation and expansion of tumor-reactive T cells.”
Through a combination of academic (Lund University), industrial (Asgard Therapeutics) and clinical partners (Inge Marie Svane at Herlev Hospital in Denmark), pre-clinical validation and regulatory approval-enabling studies for the clinical translation of this novel tumor-reactive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes therapy will be performed.
“This improved tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes therapy could benefit patients with aggressive tumors, for whom conventional cell therapies or immunotherapies show limited efficacy. “
How does this project fit within the broader field of your research, and what makes it unique?
“Our project provides an alternative to currently employed tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes therapies. Despite showing remarkable efficacy in melanoma, conventional tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes therapies leave most patients without durable responses. One of the reasons for this is the fact that these strategies expand tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes’ homogenously and not all tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes show reactivity to attack the tumor. Our previous research on dendritic cell reprogramming demonstrated that this technology could elicit antigen-specific T cell expansion.
So, we seized the opportunity to advance dendritic cell reprogramming as a solution for the pressing need: selectively expand tumor-reactive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Adding dendritic cell reprogramming to tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes therapy protocols has the potential to increase the quality and potency of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes products in promoting anti-tumor immunity and better therapy outcomes, says Filipe Pereira.”
What is the expected timeline for the project, and what key milestones are you aiming for?
“This project will be developed between mid-2025 and 2028. Our major milestones include establishing a tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expansion platform – that incorporates DC reprogramming – at Herlev Hospital (Denmark) and setting up a framework compatible with clinical regulatory approval. This will advance our technology into clinical development. On the business side, we aim to develop a go-to-market strategy and an investor-ready business plan.”
This is the only project in Sweden to receive the grant in this call. What advice would you give to other researchers/companies aiming for similar funding or recognition?
“It really is an honor to see the potential of our work recognized and to be able to develop this project into fruition. For similar funding, I would recommend researchers/companies to have a first-in-class technology that all partners find clinically and commercially compatible. You should have partners from multiple fields, namely clinical (in the case of developing therapies) and from the business world. You have to show that your approach can perform well in real conditions and what is the path of evolution. In addition, I believe the proposed project should show a broad and understandable societal impact, says Filipe Pereira.”