Pluri Collaborates With Bar-Ilan University to Advance Cancer Immunotherapy for Solid Tumors

Pluri Inc. recently announced the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) will fund Pluri’s collaboration with the Bar-Ilan University Research and Development Company Ltd., (BIRAD), the commercial arm of Bar-Ilan University, to support the continued development of Placental Mucosal Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells for solid tumors. MAIT cells are known to have unique advantages compared to conventional T-cells but have previously been difficult to expand and scale for clinical investigation and potential commercialization. MAIT cells are believed to be particularly suitable for the treatment of solid tumors, a significant unmet medical need.

Under this collaboration, Prof. Cohen’s novel Siglec-based Chimeric Switch Receptors (CCR) will be integrated into Pluri’s CAR-MAIT cell therapy platform to significantly enhance CAR-MAIT’s efficacy and tumor specificity. By leveraging the complementary strengths of both parties, Pluri’s expertise in the MAIT cell platform and the experience of Prof. Cohen’s group in developing clinically relevant and optimized T-cell genetic modification vectors, this collaboration is poised to advance innovative allogeneic cell therapies targeting solid tumors. The IIA will fund Pluri and BIRAD’s collaboration over the next year, with an option of funding an additional year. The goal of this collaboration is to effectively integrate both innovative technologies and advance to preclinical studies.

As announced in May 2024, Pluri leveraged two decades of cell expansion expertise and its proprietary technology to create a novel, patented method for expansion of immune cells. Pluri’s MAIT cells are isolated from healthy human placentas, a source rich in highly potent immune cells. Notable characteristics of Pluri’s placental MAIT cells include their potency as effector cells, their potential ability to target tumors through multiple mechanisms, and their expression of high levels of various chemokine receptors, which facilitate their migration to tumor sites. MAIT cells hold unique properties that minimize their likelihood of inducing Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), a serious complication associated with other potential allogeneic products.

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with Pluri on this innovative project to be supported by the Israel Innovation Authority,” said Prof. Cyrille Cohen. “By combining our patent pending Siglec-based receptor technology and our expertise in designing potent CAR vectors for clinical applications, together with Pluri’s advanced capabilities in cultivating MAIT cells, we aim to harness the unique biological properties of these cells. While immunotherapy has shown great success in treating blood cancers, an equivalent success has yet to be duplicated in solid tumor malignancies. This collaboration offers the potential to overcome that challenge by creating powerful, off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapies that specifically target solid tumors.”

“For over 2 decades, our team has been at the forefront of cell therapy research. We are excited to partner with BIRAD to combine our MAIT platform with Prof. Cohen’s innovative CCR technology,” said Yaky Yanay, Chief Executive Officer and President of Pluri. “This promising collaboration, recognized by the Israel Innovation Authority for its innovative potential, will help us create more effective immunotherapies for patients with solid cancer. We appreciate the IIA’s support in making this possible”.

The global cancer immunotherapy market was valued at $111 billion in 2023 and is expected to surpass $312 billion by 2033, poised to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.9%.

Pluri is pushing the boundaries of science and engineering to create cell-based products for commercial use and is pioneering a biotech revolution that promotes global well-being and sustainability. The Company’s technology platform, a patented and validated state-of-the-art 3D cell expansion system, advances novel cell-based solutions for a range of challenges— from medicine and climate change to food scarcity, animal cruelty and beyond. Pluri’s method is uniquely accurate, scalable, cost-effective and consistent from batch to batch. Pluri currently operates in the regenerative medicine, foodtech and agtech fields. The Company also offers CDMO services. Pluri establishes partnerships that leverage the Company’s proprietary 3D cell-based technology across various industries that require effective, mass cell production. For more information, visit www.pluri-biotech.com.

BIRAD – Research & Development Company Ltd. was established in order to translate new inventions made at Bar-Ilan University into useful products that can be effectively commercialized, thus strengthening the economy, promoting innovation and improving lives.

BIRAD’s innovative approach, combined with Bar-Ilan University’s rapid growth leading Israel’s growth in students’ number, including the largest Nanotechnology center in Israel and new Medical School in Safed, provides BIRAD with a wide range of opportunities. Thus, BIRAD (https://birad.biz/) offers corporate partnerships and alliances, intellectual property management, and technology commercialization through venture creation and licensing.