Engineered Enucleated Red Blood Cells for Multimodal Immune Therapy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases lack effective multimodal approaches that can coordinate the actions of multiple agents to provide therapeutic benefits, limiting their efficacy in treating immune-related conditions.

Innovation Solution

Engineered enucleated red blood cells (RBCs) are developed to express or contain multiple exogenous polypeptides that function in a coordinated manner, including synergistic, additive, or proximity-dependent activities, to target specific cellular pathways and modulate immune responses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If current therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases are used, then treatment is provided, but the therapies lack effective multimodal approaches that can coordinate the actions of multiple agents, limiting their efficacy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapeutic efficacyVSAvoidmultimodal coordination capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple therapeutic agents (e.g., antibodies, cytokines, enzymes) into a single engineered red blood cell platform. The RBC expresses or carries multiple exogenous polypeptides that function in a coordinated manner, merging what would traditionally be separate therapies into one integrated system that can simultaneously target multiple pathways in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The engineered red blood cell serves multiple functions: it acts as a delivery vehicle for multiple agents, provides structural support, maintains circulation time, and enables coordinated therapeutic action. This universal platform can be adapted to treat various autoimmune and inflammatory conditions by changing the combination of exogenous polypeptides expressed, making it versatile across different disease indications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If multiple agents are administered to provide coordinated therapeutic benefit, then treatment efficacy is improved, but the complexity of the therapy increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapeutic benefitVSAvoidtherapy complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple therapeutic agents are merged into a single biological platform (the engineered RBC). Instead of administering separate drugs that require separate dosing schedules and monitoring, all agents are delivered together through one administration, simplifying the treatment regimen while maintaining the coordinated action of multiple therapies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The engineered RBC autonomously delivers multiple agents to their target sites in the body. The cell's natural circulation properties enable it to reach inflamed tissues and release or present the exogenous polypeptides where needed, reducing the need for complex external control mechanisms or multiple administration steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3402492B1Compositions and methods related to multimodal therapeutic cell systems for immune indications
Publication Date: 2022.11.16 RUBIUS THERAPEUTICS INC
  • EP3402492B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3402492B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3402492B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention includes compositions and methods related to multimodal therapies, e.g., for treating immune conditions. A multimodal therapy described herein provides and/or administers a plurality of agents that function in a coordinated manner to provide a therapeutic benefit to a subject in need thereof, e.g., a subject having an autoimmune disease or inflammatory disease.