Speakers - 2025

Abstract

T cell therapy products require ex vivo modification and expansion to reach the necessary cell numbers and quality before being administered to patients. Traditionally, this process has relied heavily on serum and cytokine-based culture systems, which present challenges such as variability, batch-to-batch inconsistencies, and high costs. As the field transitions toward large-scale allogeneic T cell manufacturing to meet growing demand, selecting the appropriate culture reagents is increasingly critical to achieving robust and reproducible yields. Small molecules have emerged as a promising alternative, offering distinct advantages over traditional reagents, including enhanced stability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Despite their potential, small molecules remain underexplored in the context of T cell production, creating an opportunity to innovate and optimize this critical step in T cell therapy development.

Our discovery, CMT-01, exemplifies this potential by small molecules to significantly improve T cell culture outcomes. In preclinical studies, CMT-01 has consistently demonstrated a remarkable 5-10x increase in T cell expansion compared to conventional methods, while preserving key functional characteristics such as a naïve memory phenotype. This is crucial for maintaining long-term efficacy, as it enhances T cell persistence and activity in vivo. Moreover, CMT-01 has been shown to augment the functional capabilities of expanded T cells, resulting in improved therapeutic performance in vivo. These findings position CMT-01 as a transformative solution for next-generation T cell therapy manufacturing, addressing industry challenges and paving the way for more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective production processes.