Zhejiang Qixin Biotech

SARS-CoV-2 infection mainly leads to interstitial pneumonia. The patients with low immunity have more serious conditions. At present, there is no specific drug/therapy available for COVID-19. NK cells are the major cells of the natural immune system, which are essential for innate immunity and adaptive immunity, and are indispensable in the defense of virus infection. NKG2D is an activating receptor of NK cells, which can recognize and thus clear virus infected cells. NK cells modified by CAR play a role in targeted cell therapy, and have benn demonstrated very safe without severe side effects such as cytokine releasing syndromes. The survival time of NK cells will be very short if there is no IL-15-sustained support after adoptive transfer into the body. In comparison with natural IL-15 in vivo, IL-15 superagonist (sIL-15/IL-15Rɑ chimeric protein) has increased the activity by nearly 20 times and as well as improved pharmacokinetic characteristics with longer persistence and enhanced target cytotoxicity. CAR-T cell-mediated cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity have been shown to be abrogated through GM-CSF neutralization. ACE2 is the receptor of SARS-CoV-2 and binds to S protein of the virus envelope. We have constructed and prepared the universal off-the-shelf IL15 superagonist- and GM-CSF neutralizing scFv-secreting NKG2D-ACE2 CAR-NK derived from cord blood. By targeting the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and NKG2DL on the surface of infected cells with ACE2 and NKG2D, respectively, and with the strong synergistic effect of IL15 superagonist and CRS prevention through GM-CSF neutralizing scFv, we hope that the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles and their infected cells can be safely and effectively removed, thus providing a safe and effective cell therapy for COVID-19. In addition, ACE2 CAR-NK cells can competitively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection of type II alveolar epithelial cells and other important organ or tissue cells through ACE2 so as to make SARS-CoV-2 abortive infection (i.e., no production of infectious virus particles).
This project is an open, randomized, parallel, multicenter phase I/II clinical trial. The NKG2D-ACE2 CAR-NK cells secreting super IL15 superagonist and GM-CSF neutralizing scFv are going to be give by intravenous infusion (108 cells per kilogram of body weight, once a week) for the treatment of 30 patients with each common, severe and critical type COVID-19, respectively.

According to the high expression of tumor cell-associated antigen Nectin4 in patients with solid tumors such as non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, and pancreatic cancer, and in order to target FAP-positive CAFs in the tumor-associated stroma, the Intravenous minimally invasive surgery combined with intratumoral injection of Nectin4/FAP-targeted fourth-generation CAR-T cells (expressing IL7 and CCL19, or IL12) are used to treat Nectin4-positive advanced malignant solid tumors, maximally eliminating residual cancer cells and preventing recurrence.

According to the high expression of tumor cell-associated antigen CD138, integrin β7, CS1, CD38 and BCMA in patients with refractory/recurrent multiple myeloma, the fourth generation of CAR-T cells(simultaneously expressing IL7 and CCL19) with 10 different dual target combinations are used to minimize the tumor burden in the patient individually and precisely and improve the immunosuppressive microenvironment of the tumor , thereby effectively treating refractory/recurrent multiple myeloma .