Marker Therapeutics Inc (MRKR)

[rfj1862]

Hanuman, these guys are using a different method to genetically engineer the T cells for CAR T cell therapy. It looks like there is basically three differences between this group and everyone else doing CAR T therapy. They claim it's going to be cheaper and more efficient and safer? We'll see. I don't know enough about the specific methods used in CAR T cell therapy to judge.

Difference 1) they use a different method of producing the CAR gene for treatment. They use something called "polymerase chain reaction" (PCR), which is basically making a piece of DNA in a test tube. Whereas others use DNA from a crippled virus that they have to grow in cell culture and then purify from the culture. PCR is pretty simple for the most part and it's a lot faster, easier and cheaper that growing crippled virus.

Difference 2: they get the CAR gene into the T cells using electricity, which produces little pores in the cell membrane, and they use "linear DNA" to make their CAR gene- a piece of DNA with two ends, like a thread, that is produced using PCR mentioned above. Everyone else uses the crippled virus, or a circular DNA called a plasmid, to carry the CAR gene into the T cells. I'm not sure why this is an advantage. They do say they are going to look into methods other than electroporation so maybe it's not a great advantage. Also, the linear DNA might have an advantage over the crippled virus method, I'm not sure about their system specifically.

Difference 3) they use a different "DNA Cassette" to carry the CAR gene into the T cells. Every one else uses the crippled virus to carry their CAR gene into the cell where the gene get's "turned on." This group is using their linear DNA with what they call a "High Expression Amplicon (HEA)" to carry their CAR gene into the cell. This HEA is basically a signal section in the DNA that turns on the gene at a higher rate than other systems. Or at least that is the idea behind it. They say they are tinkering with it to try to get greater production of their CAR gene in T cells.

This is all to-the-best-of-my-knowledge.

This is a good explanation!