Next-generation programmed cell therapies for solid tumors
Rubik Therapeutics is on a mission to change the treatment paradigm for solid tumors by developing cell therapies that target highly selective, unique tumor targets and by leveraging insights into immune cells signaling to counteract immune suppression.
About
Driven to discover first-in-class cell therapies for solid cancers.
Rubik Therapeutics is an early-stage biotech pioneering next-generation solid cancer targets and pan-checkpoint immune suppression control for both autologous or allogeneic solid tumor cell therapies.
Our mission is to unlock the potential of safer, efficacious cell therapies in solid cancer indications with high unmet need.
Rubik also leverages its platform capabilities to identify selective targets for other modalities in adjacent spaces outside of cell therapy. We are also seeking partnerships for our immune checkpoint modulator platform with other cell therapy companies. Please reach out to us.
Platform
Rubik’s proprietary platform is built on foundational technology that codes our discoveries in cancer and immune gene regulation into a comprehensive discovery engine.
- Novel Selective targets: Pipeline of unique, truly selective tumor targets that exhibit Onco-Linkage
- Suppression resistance: Synthetically encoded Modulators, intracellular proteins encoded in engineered immune cells that block central inhibitory signaling nodes.
Onco-Linkage
“In solid tumors there is no such thing as a selective target due to the sharing of antigens between tumors and essential tissues” -Ray Fladeboe
Through computational and statistical modeling of cancer genomes, Rubik discovered a defined set of properties that can be coded to discover truly selective solid tumor targets. These properties stem from the propensity for cancer genomes to select for various genetic lesions during cancer initiation and progression which can also affect other, non-cancer associated genes. During tumorigenesis, chromosome-adjacent genes or even non-proximal associated genes become ‘linked’ to cancer-driving lesions and become dysregulated. We refer to these properties as onco-linkage.
Onco-linked targets exhibit several features that make them attractive tumor-selective targets:
- Selective (non-lineage)
- Uniform expression
- Resistant to downregulation
- Resistant to loss
We have also discovered a set of targets relevant for non-cell therapy target-dependent modalities such as radioligand therapies that we are actively partnering. Please reach out to us to learn more.
Modulators
Synthetic protein modulators that shut down inhibitory signaling from solid tumors
Rubik’s platform mapped immune cell suppression signals to identify central genes (nodes) in the cascade. Small, synthetic protein modulators are then designed to inhibit these in a dominant negative fashion.
Features of Rubik modulators:
- No gene editing: Engineered variant acts in a dominant inhibitory manner to disrupt suppressive signals
- Simple manufacturing: Compact size (300aa) enables multi-gene single vector design to pair with CAR
- No collateral toxicity: Expression from within engineered immune cell avoids pan-immune or systemic effects
- Selective impact: Targeted protein is specifically upregulated in dysfunctional TILs
- Improved sensitivity: enhanced activation in presence of low antigen density target cells
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