Purple Biotech to Collaborate with Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai on CAPTN-3 Tri-Specific Antibody Platform Research
Tuesday, February 04, 2025
Purple Biotech Ltd. a clinical-stage company focused on developing therapies to address tumour immune evasion and drug resistance, has signed a Research Collaboration Agreement with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. This partnership aims to study the immunoregulation of NK and T cells within the tumour microenvironment (TME) using Purple’s CAPTN-3 multi-specific engagers. The objective is to enhance tumour-specific immunity across different cancer types.
The collaboration involves the Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute and The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine. The research is expected to provide insights into the mechanisms of action of Purple Biotech’s tri-specific platform as it moves towards human clinical trials. There has been increasing interest in multi-specific engagers, and the development of CAPTN-3 is progressing in preparation for first-in-human clinical studies.
The study will be led by Amir Horowitz, PhD, Associate Professor of Immunology & Immunotherapy and Oncological Sciences, and a member of the Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute and The Tisch Cancer Institute. Dr. Horowitz has expertise in the immunoregulation of the TME in cancer patients. His research has identified a novel immunotherapeutic target axis involving the interaction between HLA-E expressing tumour cells and NKG2A-positive NK and CD8 T cells. This interaction suppresses immune responses in treatment-resistant patients and has been recognised as a dominant inhibitory checkpoint pathway in solid tumours.
The research will focus on examining how CAPTN-3 antibodies influence T and NK cell activation within the TME. Specifically, it will investigate the modulation of HLA-E/NKG2A interactions and the enhancement of innate immunity. The findings are expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of tumour immune evasion mechanisms and help advance effective treatments for challenging tumour indications.
Purple Biotech is working closely with Dr. Horowitz and his team at Mount Sinai to assess the unique properties of CAPTN-3 across a broad range of patient-derived tumours. The study aims to provide new insights into overcoming resistance to standard frontline immunotherapies, supporting the development of improved cancer treatments.
