Eterna Therapeutics Launches Research on ERNA-101's Antitumor Immunity in Ovarian and Breast Cancer

Eterna Therapeutics, a company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has entered into a research collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. This partnership aims to explore the potential of Eterna's leading cell therapy, ERNA-101, in enhancing and regulating antitumor immunity within ovarian and breast cancer models. ERNA-101 is an innovative product developed by Eterna, which utilizes allogenic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs) that secrete the cytokines IL-7 and IL-15.

The core of the research will focus on assessing ERNA-101's immunomodulatory effects in vitro, as well as its ability to promote antitumor immunity in vivo within ovarian and breast cancer models. Depending on the findings from these initial studies, there could be further research into combining ERNA-101 with CAR T or CAR NK cell therapies to treat solid tumors more effectively.

The studies will be overseen by Michael Andreeff, MD, PhD, a Leukemia Professor at MD Anderson. Dr. Andreeff has also collaborated with Eterna in the development of ERNA-101 cells.

Eterna's CEO and President, Sanjeev Luther, emphasized the significance of this research project, stating that it is crucial for accelerating the pathway towards an Investigational New Drug (IND) submission for ERNA-101. The company aims to generate substantial data to demonstrate the therapeutic potential of ERNA-101 in treating solid tumors through this partnership.

Eterna Therapeutics is a publicly traded company at the preclinical stage, dedicated to developing innovative and safe off-the-shelf cell therapies for advanced solid tumors. Their primary focus is on treating platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

The company’s flagship product, ERNA-101, is designed to selectively deliver pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-7 and IL-15 to the tumor microenvironment (TME) to stimulate a strong anti-tumor immune response. This product is built on Eterna's core technology, which involves engineering allogenic iPSCs to express specific genes and efficiently differentiate these cells into iMSCs.