A platform technology for immune targeting cancer and endometriosis Women’s Health Focus
Date: February 4, 2026
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by a reception
Location: Mosti Auditorium, Building 19, Level 2
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We are delighted to welcome Professor Alan Trounson AO to KAUST for a lecture exploring a next-generation platform for immune targeting of cancer and endometriosis, with a particular focus on women’s health. Drawing on decades of leadership in reproductive biology, stem cell science and immunotherapy, Professor Trounson will present Cartherics’ pioneering work in allogeneic, gene-edited CAR-NK cell therapies derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, highlighting their potential to overcome key limitations of current CAR-T treatments and to transform the management of ovarian cancer, endometriosis and other solid tumors.
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T) technologies targeting hematological malignancies have revolutionized cancer treatment. However, current autologous CAR-T therapies face major challenges, including limited success against solid tumors, barriers to broad adoption, and treatment-associated toxicities. Allogeneic immune cell therapies, particularly natural killer (NK) cells, are rapidly emerging treatment modalities that have the potential to overcome some of the current limitations associated with autologous CAR-T therapies.
Cartherics Pty Ltd has developed an allogeneic, gene-modified, induced pluripotent stem-cell (iPSC)-derived CAR NK cell product that targets ovarian cancer and endometriosis, which express the cell surface antigens, tumor-associated glycoprotein-72 (TAG-72) and Tissue Factor (TF). Using the gene editing tool – CRISPR/Cas9 – an iPSC line derived from a homozygous HLA cord blood sample, has been edited to express an anti-TAG-72 CAR and Diacylglycerol Kinaseaz (DGK) gene deletions (KOs) which enhance T cell/NK cell persistence and cytotoxic function. These TAG-72-CAR-DGK-KO iNK cells (termed CTH-401) have demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against an ovarian cancer model in vitro and in vivo. They will also be used against advanced endometriosis.
A TF-CAR-NK cell with a specific immune-modulating gene knock-in (CTH-501) has also been developed to target endometriosis and potentially triple negative breast cancer.
Given the difficulty for immune cytotoxicity in the solid tumor microenvironment, an AI designed multi-gene edited CAR-NK product involving knock-in of relevant tumor-homing receptors and knock-out of key immunosuppressing genes (CTH-502) is presently in preclinical development.
In summary, Cartherics has a promising pipeline of therapeutic candidates for the treatment of ovarian cancer, endometriosis and other carcinomas. The gene-edited iPSC platform provides limitless, on-demand supply of standardized allogeneic CAR-iNK-KO cells with potentially no or minimal treatment-associated toxicities.
About the speaker
Professor Alan Trounson AO (Order of Australia): PhD, MSc; Emeritus Professor, Monash University. He developed artificial breeding techniques in sheep, cattle, pigs, and horses in Australia (Sydney University) and Cambridge, UK. He was a pioneer of human in vitro fertilization (IVF) (1977-1996) and led the Australian team that made the world’s first discovery of human embryonic stem cells in the late 1990’s. He was Deputy Director of the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development 1990-2004, CEO of the Australian Stem Cell Centre, and Director of Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories 2003-2007; President of the US$3 billion. Californian Institute for Regenerative Medicine (2007-2014); was founding CEO of Cartherics Pty Ltd. (www.cartherics.com), developing immune-therapies for solid tumors (e.g., ovarian cancer) and endometriosis (2015-2025); and is presently Executive Chair of Evinco Therapeutics Pty Ltd – developing a new exosome immune-therapeutic approach for neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (2025-).