Morphogenesis, Inc. and CohBar, Inc. Enter into Definitive Merger Agreement to Advance an Innovative Late-stage Clinical Immuno-oncology Pipeline of Therapies to Overcome Resistance to Cancer Immunotherapy
The companies hosted a joint webcast on May 23, 2023, to discuss the transaction.
Our IFx technology is designed to make a tumor cell appear as a bacterium to the immune system, activating both an innate immune response, and subsequently, an adaptive immune response.
Innate Immunity
Innate immunity, also referred to as nonspecific immunity, is the body’s first line of defense against pathogens. It protects against all microbial pathogens by immediately preventing the spread and movement of foreign pathogens throughout the body. The innate immune system is more ancient than the adaptive immune response, and it has developed and evolved to protect the host from the surrounding environment, in which a variety of toxins and infectious agents including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites are found.
Adaptive Immunity
The adaptive immune system is triggered in response to the body’s exposure to a foreign substance and is composed of specialized immune cells and antibodies that attack and destroy pathogens or prevent their growth. The adaptive response also triggers the development of antigen-specific memory T-Cells that contribute to the prevention of recurrence of sickness to a particular pathogen.
Our tumor microenvironment modulators are bi-functional antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) designed to block myeloid derived suppressor cell (MDSC) production of multiple immune suppressing factors. At the same time, these novel bi-functional antibodies localize immune effectors such as checkpoint inhibitors in the TME, increasing efficacy and decreasing side effects.
The Tumor Microenvironment
The Tumor Microenvironment (TME) is the highly immunosuppressive ecosystem surrounding a tumor that provides nutrients and promotes tumor growth. Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) represent a major component of the cells making up the tumor microenvironment. MDSCs produce many soluble factors responsible for creating the immunosuppressive environment in the TME, allowing the tumor to avoid an attack by a patient’s immune system.