Full Press Release Details
Demonstrates Fine and Predictable Tuning of TALEN Gene Editing
Targeting to Improve T-cell Adoptive Immunotherapy
multiplex gene editing for "off-the-shelf" PD-1 inhibition resistant CAR
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 20, 2017--Regulatory News:
Cellectis (Paris:ALCLS) (NASDAQ:CLLS) (Alternext: ALCLS - Nasdaq: CLLS),
a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing
immunotherapies based on gene-edited allogeneic CAR T-cells (UCART),
announced today the publication of a study in Molecular Therapy -
Nucleic Acids describing the educated engineering of highly specific
and efficient TAL nucleases (TALEN ) targeting PD1, a key T-cell immune
In this report, Anne-Sophie Gautron, Ph.D., Alexandre Juillerat, Ph.D.,
and their collaborators used a strategy developed by Cellectis to
control TALEN targeting based on a proprietary technology leveraging
the exclusion capacities of non-conventional RVDs. This approach allows
combined disruptions of the desired TRAC and PDCD1 loci by
TALEN while eliminating low frequency off-site processing. By adjusting
a few RVDs, they provided a rapid and straightforward redesign of
optimal TALEN combinations for multiplex gene editing. This approach
can greatly benefit gene editing for therapeutic applications where high
editing efficiencies need to be associated with maximal specificity and
Anne-Sophie Gautron, Ph.D. Project leader Immunotherapy
Dr. Anne-Sophie Gautron, Ph.D., graduated in immunology from the
University Pierre et Marie Curie/Pasteur Institute, Paris 6, France.
After receiving her Ph.D. in immunology in 2009 from the University Ren
Descartes, Paris 5, France, she joined the Neurology and Immunobiology
departments at Yale University, Connecticut, where she studied the role
of regulatory T-cells in inhibiting pathogenic Th1 and Th17-cell
responses. In 2014, she joined the Early Discovery team of Cellectis in
Paris, France, working on the development of the next generation of CAR
T-cells for adoptive immunotherapy. In 2017, she joined the CAR
development group to lead projects associated with the development of
new CAR-expressing engineered T-cells for administration as
"off-the-shelf" immunopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment.
Alexandre Juillerat, Ph.D. Innovation Team leader
Dr. Alexandre Juillerat, Ph.D., graduated in Chemistry from the
University of Lausanne, Switzerland. After receiving in 2006 his Ph.D.
in protein engineering from the cole Polytechnique F d rale de Lausanne
(EPFL, Switzerland), he moved to the laboratory of Structural Immunology
at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, performing structure-function
studies on a major adhesin of plasmodium falciparum. In 2010, he joined
the R&D department of Cellectis in Paris, France, working on the
development and implementation of sequence specific designer nucleases
including the transcription activator-like effector nucleases TALEN . He
then joined the Cellectis facility based in New York, NY, USA, leading
projects associated with the development of the T-cell chimeric antigen
receptor (CAR) technology.
Fine and predictable tuning of TALEN gene editing targeting for
improved T-cell adoptive immunotherapy
Anne-Sophie Gautron1,3,
Alexandre Juillerat2,3, Val rie Guyot1,
Jean-Marie Filhol1, Emilie Dessez1, Aymeric Duclert1,
Philippe Duchateau1 and Laurent Poirot1.
SA, 8 rue de la croix Jarry, 75013 Paris, FRANCE
Inc, 430E, 29th street, NYC, NY 10016, USA
contributed equally to this work.
Cellectis is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on
developing a new generation of cancer immunotherapies based on
gene-edited T-cells (UCART). By capitalizing on its 17 years of
expertise in gene editing - built on its flagship TALEN technology and
pioneering electroporation system PulseAgile - Cellectis uses the power
of the immune system to target and eradicate cancer cells.
Using its life-science-focused, pioneering genome engineering
technologies, Cellectis' goal is to create innovative products in
multiple fields and with various target markets.
on the Nasdaq market (ticker: CLLS) and on the NYSE Alternext market
(ticker: ALCLS). To find out more about us, visit our website: www.cellectis.com
Talking about gene editing? We do it. TALEN is a registered trademark
owned by the Cellectis Group.
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements that are based
on our management's current expectations and assumptions and on
information currently available to management. Forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements
to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
Further information on the risks factors that may affect company
business and financial performance, is included in filings Cellectis
makes with the Security Exchange Commission from time to time and its
financial reports. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to
update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the
reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in
the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes
available in the future.
For further information, please contact:
Jennifer Moore, 917-580-1088
VP of Communications
Kasunich, 212-896-1241
KCSA Strategic Communications
Simon Harnest, 646-385-9008
VP of Corporate Strategy