REPRESSIT consortium partners
This project brings together a range of research disciplines, including tumor immunologists, protein engineering experts, biochemists, biophysicists, and mass spectrometry specialists.
Each partner is a leading specialist in their respective field:
Oxford has excellent expertise in developing and testing protein molecules; AMOLF is leading in high-resolution bioimaging with a focus on examining the biophysical basis of immune cell signaling; UKB has expertise in mass spectrometry-based proteomics workflows to analyze immune cell signaling pathways and has previously evaluated the effect of existing T cell checkpoint therapeutics; KI has longstanding experience in tumor-on-the-chip models for testing immunotherapeutics; UMCU is a world-renowned expertise center in tumor immunology, immunoreceptors biology and preclinical testing of new cancer treatments, and Vycellix has expertise in allogeneic T cell and NK cell-based cancer therapies including CD45-based engineering solutions designed to amplify cell potency and optimize multi-antigen engagement.
It will only be the combination of different areas of expertise what enables the development of new RIPR molecules, from molecular design to production, characterization, and their functional validation.
Putting together all this multidisciplinary expertise will bring the REPRESSIT platform technology closer to being a reality in cancer treatment.
People
University of Oxford
Oxford co-invented the RIPR technology to target different immune receptors and has outstanding expertise in protein engineering. They will provide access to nanobody libraries, screening and selection of binders, high-throughput expression, and purification of RIPR molecules, which will be distributed to the consortium.
Dr. Ricardo Fernandes
Group leader
RIPR molecules design, production and early functional characterization.
Dr. Victoria Junghans
Postdoctoral researcher
Protein design and expression; functional assays to test T cell activity in vitro.
AMOLF, Amsterdam
They will characterise RIPR mode of action, including 2D binding kinetics, and link RIPR biophysical properties to RIPR-induced receptor silencing using single-molecule imaging.
Dr. Kristina Ganzinger
Group leader
Dr. Raquel Martínez González
Postdoctoral researcher
Microscope building and single molecule imaging.
Institute of Innate Immunity, Bonn
They will characterise RIPR-induced cellular signaling pathways unbiasedly with mass spectrometry-based proteomics and define molecular checkpoints engaged by highly-efficient RIPR molecules.
Prof. Felix Meissner
Group leader
Tabea Klein
PhD student
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
They will perform microchip-based imaging assays with single cell resolution to study functional responses of immune cells treated with RIPR.
Prof. Björn Önfelt
Group leader
Prof. Evren Alici
Group leader
Center for Translational Immunology, Utrecht
UMCU is a world-renowned expertise center in tumor immunology, IR signaling, and new cancer treatment preclinical testing. They will provide their extensive knowledge and experience working with the LAIR-1 receptor, a highly relevant therapeutic target in cancer, to test RIPR-LAIR-1 on T cell functionality and its potential anti-tumor effect on hematopoietic cancers in vitro and in vivo preclinical models. Its team of valorization experts helps to pave the way, leading from basic science discoveries towards translational and clinical research and practical applications.
Prof. Linde Meyaard
Group leader
Dr. Sebestyen Zsolt
Associate professor
Dr. Enrique Andrés Sastre
Postdoctoral researcher
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Vycellix Sweden AB
Swedish immuno-centric discovery life science company advancing the development of transformational platform technologies to enhance and optimize next generation cell and gene-based therapies, including T cell and natural killer (NK) cell-based cancer therapies. Vycellix Sweden is focused on identifying nanobodies against phosphatases such as CD45, which is of particular interest to the consortium. Vycellix Sweden’s expertise will focus on generating nanobody binders for targets of choice, production, and pharmacokinetics studies.
Douglas W. Calder
President