Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Featured Platform: Melissa Skala

The Skala lab uses photonics-based technologies to develop personalized treatment plans for cancer patients. Collaborative projects leverage unique imaging technologies for clinical problems including quality control in T cell and stem cell therapies.
SKALA LAB AND PUBLICATIONS

Featured Platform: Jacques Galipeau

The Galipeau lab studies the translational development of cell therapies, including the use of mesenchymal stromal cells as an immunotherapy of catastrophic illnesses including cancer and immune disease.
GALIPEAU LAB AND PUBLICATIONS

Featured Platform: Peiman Hematti

The Hematti team has developed methods for expanding and activating T cells. They have demonstrated in vitro T cell proliferation and believe that ex vivo proliferation would be possible for use in Car T.
HEMATTI LAB AND PUBLICATIONS

Featured Platform: Kris Saha

The Saha laboratory has developed nonviral methods for generating genome CAR-T cells. The patented solution leverages CRISPR/CAS to modify the T cell genome rather than transduce with retroviral DNA.
SAHA LAB AND PUBLICATIONS

 

Alternative CAR Constructs

Combinational Immunotherapy of CAR-M and CAR-NK
Jue Zhang, James Thomson, Igor Slukvin, Aditi Majumder, Ho Sun Jung
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Label-Free Sensing of B Cell and NK Cell Activation
Melissa Skala, Rebecca Schmitz
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Label-Free Sensing of Neutrophil Activation
Melissa Skala, Rupsa Datta
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Cell Expansion/Cell Culture Optimization

Methods of Expanding Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Compositions and Methods of Use
Expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) has remained an important goal to develop advanced cell therapies for bone marrow transplantation and many blood disorders. Despite the identification…
Learn More
Emery Bresnick, Xin Gao, Kirby Johnson

Induction of Arterial-Type of Hemogenic Endothelium (AHE) and Enhancement of T Cell Production from PSCs Through Overexpression of ETS Factors or Modulating MAPK/ERK Signaling Pathways
De nova production of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from in vitro expandable human cells, such as pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), represents a promising approach for stem cell-based therapies and modeling of hematologic diseases…
Learn More
Igor Slukvin, Mi Ae Park, Akhilesh Kumar

Expansion of HPSC-Derived Granulocytic and Lymphoid Progenitors with UM171
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have created alternative platforms for producing blood cells for transfusion, immunotherapies and transplantation. Advancing blood cell manufacturing from hPSCs and translating…
Learn More
Igor Slukvin, Walatta-Tseyon Mesquitta

Functional Neutrophils from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Despite recent advances in prevention and management, myelosuppression and febrile neutropenia are a complication of cancer therapies and a common cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in pediatric cancer patients…
Learn More
Igor Slukvin, Vera Brok Volchanskaya, Kran Suknuntha, Anna Huttenlocher, David Bennin, Lucas Klemm

Enhancing Production of Erythromyeloid Progenitors and NK Cells from iPSC by Forced Expression of SOX18 in Hemogenic Endothelium
Igor Slukvin, Ho Sun Jung
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Combinational Immunotherapy of CAR-M and CAR-NK
Jue Zhang, James Thomson, Igor Slukvin, Aditi Majumder, Ho Sun Jung
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Anti-Inflammatory Macrophages
Because of their regenerative and immunomodulatory properties, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are implicated in the treatment of a great number of disorders associated with aberrant immune function and inflammation…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, Jaehyup Kim

Xeno-Free Generation of Tissue-Specific Progenitor Cells
Clinical use of tissue-specific progenitor cells has been hampered, in part, by an inability to isolate or produce sufficient numbers of the cells suitable for clinical application…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, Jaehyup Kim

Generation of Therapeutic Cells Using Extracellular Components of Target Organs
The heart has limited intrinsic regenerative potential. Traditional cardio-regenerative efforts have focused on administering stem cells to replenish adult heart cells. A dizzying array of stem/progenitor cell…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, John Kink, Eric Schmuck, Amish Raval

LPS Priming of Stromal Cells to Generate LPS-specific Exosome Educated Macrophages
Currently there are no cell therapies approved for use against acute radiation injury (ARS). Severe ARS can cause death and the only cell treatment is allogenic bone marrow transplantation (BMT)…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, John Kink, Christian Capitini

GATA2-Mutant Cells to Enable Cancer, Immunology and Hematology Discoveries
The gene encoding GATA-binding-factor 2 (GATA2) often suffers germline and somatic mutations, which result in a wide variety of inherited and acquired immune and blood disorders…
Learn More
Emery Bresnick, Koichi Katsumura, Kirby Johnson

Manufacturing Processes

Synthetic IL6-IL1β Fusion Cytokine IL-61 for Promoting T Cell Cytotoxic Function, T Cell Proliferation and Anti-Tumoricidal Activity
Jacques Galipeau, Rahul Das
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Nonviral Generation of Genome-Edited CAR T Cells
Use of viral vectors for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell manufacturing constitutes a bottleneck in the supply chain for biomanufacturing and can be problematic due to: (1) batch-to-batch variability…
Learn More
Krishanu Saha, Christian Capitini, Katherine Mueller, Nicole Piscopo, Amritava Saha, Matthew Forsberg, Louise Saraspe

Method and Device to Screen and Sort Cancer Immunotherapy Cells
A new cancer treatment being studied at a few major centers including UW Health is CAR T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell) therapy. CAR T therapy uses a patient’s own cells and ‘reengineers’ them to…
Learn More
Melissa Skala, Alexandra Walsh

Effective and Robust Method of T Cell Expansion and Activation
Widespread utilization of T cell immunotherapies has been hindered by the lack of rapid, cost-effective and efficient methods for selecting and expanding clinical-grade, therapeutic T cell products that proliferate and persist in vivo…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, Debra Bloom

Treatment Optimization

Anti-Tumor DNA Vaccine with PD-1 and LAG-3 Pathway Blockade
Douglas McNeel, Christopher Zahm, Jena Moseman
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Multicell Conjugates for Activating Antigen-Specific T Cell Responses
By combining two kinds of cells found in the body, this technology could open up a potentially transformative new approach to treating cancer, one that is faster and more specific than current methods…
Learn More
Jenny Gumperz, Dana Baiu

Treatment Options

Provoking Anti-Tumor Immune Response with Rhamnose
A carbohydrate called rhamnose has been identified as a promising alternative to αGal for leveraging the immune system to treat cancer. Rhamnose is a much smaller molecule and can be chemically synthesized…
Learn More
Laura Kiessling, Rachael Sheridan, Jonathan Hudon

Nanoparticles That Target Dendritic Cells
Dendritic cells play an important role in the process of initiating immune response. Once activated by an antigen, dendritic cells migrate to the lymph tissues where they interact with T and B cells…
Learn More
Ferencz Denes, Zsuzsanna Fabry, Matyas Sandor

Viruses

Genetically Modified Genes and Cells, and Methods of Using Same for Silencing Virus Gene Expression
While combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) can reduce viral load and slow progression of AIDS, there is no vaccine or cure for life-long, persistent infection. Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART)…
Learn More
Nathan Sherer, Ryan Behrens

Cell-Based Assay for Identifying Inhibitors of Viral Translational Recoding
Viruses maximize their genetic potential through several mechanisms including expressing multiple protein products from a single mRNA template. A crucial mechanism is conserved by both retroviruses…
Learn More
Nathan Sherer, Bayleigh Benner

Full Portfolio

Combinational Immunotherapy of CAR-M and CAR-NK
Jue Zhang, James Thomson, Igor Slukvin, Aditi Majumder, Ho Sun Jung
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Label-Free Sensing of B Cell and NK Cell Activation
Melissa Skala, Rebecca Schmitz
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Label-Free Sensing of Neutrophil Activation
Melissa Skala, Rupsa Datta
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Methods of Expanding Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Compositions and Methods of Use
Expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) has remained an important goal to develop advanced cell therapies for bone marrow transplantation and many blood disorders. Despite the identification…
Learn More
Emery Bresnick, Xin Gao, Kirby Johnson

Induction of Arterial-Type of Hemogenic Endothelium (AHE) and Enhancement of T Cell Production from PSCs Through Overexpression of ETS Factors or Modulating MAPK/ERK Signaling Pathways
De nova production of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from in vitro expandable human cells, such as pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), represents a promising approach for stem cell-based therapies and modeling of hematologic diseases…
Learn More
Igor Slukvin, Mi Ae Park, Akhilesh Kumar

Expansion of HPSC-Derived Granulocytic and Lymphoid Progenitors with UM171
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have created alternative platforms for producing blood cells for transfusion, immunotherapies and transplantation. Advancing blood cell manufacturing from hPSCs and translating…
Learn More
Igor Slukvin, Walatta-Tseyon Mesquitta

Functional Neutrophils from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Despite recent advances in prevention and management, myelosuppression and febrile neutropenia are a complication of cancer therapies and a common cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in pediatric cancer patients…
Learn More
Igor Slukvin, Vera Brok Volchanskaya, Kran Suknuntha, Anna Huttenlocher, David Bennin, Lucas Klemm

Enhancing Production of Erythromyeloid Progenitors and NK Cells from iPSC by Forced Expression of SOX18 in Hemogenic Endothelium
Igor Slukvin, Ho Sun Jung
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Combinational Immunotherapy of CAR-M and CAR-NK
Jue Zhang, James Thomson, Igor Slukvin, Aditi Majumder, Ho Sun Jung
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Anti-Inflammatory Macrophages
Because of their regenerative and immunomodulatory properties, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are implicated in the treatment of a great number of disorders associated with aberrant immune function and inflammation…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, Jaehyup Kim

Xeno-Free Generation of Tissue-Specific Progenitor Cells
Clinical use of tissue-specific progenitor cells has been hampered, in part, by an inability to isolate or produce sufficient numbers of the cells suitable for clinical application…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, Jaehyup Kim

Generation of Therapeutic Cells Using Extracellular Components of Target Organs
The heart has limited intrinsic regenerative potential. Traditional cardio-regenerative efforts have focused on administering stem cells to replenish adult heart cells. A dizzying array of stem/progenitor cell…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, John Kink, Eric Schmuck, Amish Raval

LPS Priming of Stromal Cells to Generate LPS-specific Exosome Educated Macrophages
Currently there are no cell therapies approved for use against acute radiation injury (ARS). Severe ARS can cause death and the only cell treatment is allogenic bone marrow transplantation (BMT)…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, John Kink, Christian Capitini

GATA2-Mutant Cells to Enable Cancer, Immunology and Hematology Discoveries
The gene encoding GATA-binding-factor 2 (GATA2) often suffers germline and somatic mutations, which result in a wide variety of inherited and acquired immune and blood disorders…
Learn More
Emery Bresnick, Koichi Katsumura, Kirby Johnson

Synthetic IL6-IL1β Fusion Cytokine IL-61 for Promoting T Cell Cytotoxic Function, T Cell Proliferation and Anti-Tumoricidal Activity
Jacques Galipeau, Rahul Das
Status: No public patent application available; contact Andy DeTienne at [email protected] for more information.

Nonviral Generation of Genome-Edited CAR T Cells
Use of viral vectors for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell manufacturing constitutes a bottleneck in the supply chain for biomanufacturing and can be problematic due to: (1) batch-to-batch variability…
Learn More
Krishanu Saha, Christian Capitini, Katherine Mueller, Nicole Piscopo, Amritava Saha, Matthew Forsberg, Louise Saraspe

Method and Device to Screen and Sort Cancer Immunotherapy Cells
A new cancer treatment being studied at a few major centers including UW Health is CAR T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell) therapy. CAR T therapy uses a patient’s own cells and ‘reengineers’ them to…
Learn More
Melissa Skala, Alexandra Walsh

Effective and Robust Method of T Cell Expansion and Activation
Widespread utilization of T cell immunotherapies has been hindered by the lack of rapid, cost-effective and efficient methods for selecting and expanding clinical-grade, therapeutic T cell products that proliferate and persist in vivo…
Learn More
Peiman Hematti, Debra Bloom

Anti-Tumor DNA Vaccine with PD-1 and LAG-3 Pathway Blockade
Douglas McNeel, Christopher Zahm, Jena Moseman

Multicell Conjugates for Activating Antigen-Specific T Cell Responses
By combining two kinds of cells found in the body, this technology could open up a potentially transformative new approach to treating cancer, one that is faster and more specific than current methods…
Learn More
Jenny Gumperz, Dana Baiu

Provoking Anti-Tumor Immune Response with Rhamnose
A carbohydrate called rhamnose has been identified as a promising alternative to αGal for leveraging the immune system to treat cancer. Rhamnose is a much smaller molecule and can be chemically synthesized…
Learn More
Laura Kiessling, Rachael Sheridan, Jonathan Hudon

Nanoparticles That Target Dendritic Cells
Dendritic cells play an important role in the process of initiating immune response. Once activated by an antigen, dendritic cells migrate to the lymph tissues where they interact with T and B cells…
Learn More
Ferencz Denes, Zsuzsanna Fabry, Matyas Sandor

Genetically Modified Genes and Cells, and Methods of Using Same for Silencing Virus Gene Expression
While combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) can reduce viral load and slow progression of AIDS, there is no vaccine or cure for life-long, persistent infection. Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART)…
Learn More
Nathan Sherer, Ryan Behrens

Cell-Based Assay for Identifying Inhibitors of Viral Translational Recoding
Viruses maximize their genetic potential through several mechanisms including expressing multiple protein products from a single mRNA template. A crucial mechanism is conserved by both retroviruses…
Learn More
Nathan Sherer, Bayleigh Benner

WARF