Eterna Therapeutics to Present at the ASGCT 27th Annual Meeting on Development of Beta 2 Microglobulin-Knockout (B2M-KO) iMSC Line with Enhanced Immunosuppressive Activity and Stealthing Features that May Further Augment the Therapeutic Potential of MSCs

• The presentation reports the development of a beta 2 microglobulin-knockout (B2M-KO) iMSC line with enhanced immunosuppressive activity and stealthing features that may further augment the therapeutic potential of MSCs in treating inflammatory diseases by precluding batch-to-batch inconsistencies, promoting in vivo persistence, and enhancing the effector function of the cells
• The presentation is on Saturday, May 11^th, 2024

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eterna Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ERNA) (“Eterna” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company using advanced cell engineering technology to develop transformational new medicines, today announces that Raven Hinkel will present at the 27^th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene + Cell Therapy, taking place in Baltimore, Maryland.

While mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have repeatedly demonstrated significant therapeutic potential in numerous preclinical models, their clinical translation has been greatly impeded by variability in therapeutic responses. This variability is often attributed to donor and source heterogeneity and limited expansion potential. Furthermore, MSCs can exhibit limited in vivo persistence due to clearance by host immune cells, which can also contribute to deficient therapeutic responses. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MSCs (iMSCs) promise to directly address many of the fundamental challenges facing MSC translation.

Here, we report the development of a beta 2 microglobulin-knockout (B2M-KO) iMSC line with enhanced immunosuppressive activity and stealthing features that may further augment the therapeutic potential of MSCs in treating inflammatory diseases by precluding batch-to-batch inconsistencies, promoting in vivo persistence, and enhancing the effector function of the cells.

The abstract concludes that B2M-KO iMSCs are more likely to evade immune clearance and exert their immunomodulatory effects, as demonstrated by their enhanced sensitivity of IDO1 expression and their improved ability to inhibit PBMC proliferation. Our data suggest that B2M-KO iMSCs may be a promising therapeutic agent for T-cell mediated autoimmune and inflammatory indications.

“We are thrilled to advance our iMSC research,” says Sanjeev Luther, CEO. “iPSC-Derived iMSCs drive our Multiple Sclerosis pipeline candidate and are an important scientific focus for our team.”

Presentation Details

Title: iMSCs Derived from mRNA-Engineered B2M-KO iPSCs Exhibit Enhanced Immunosuppressive Activity and Stealthing Features

Presenter: Raven Dance Hinkel, Research Associate II