Our Artificial Membrane Binding Protein (AMBP) technology allows us to cover the surface of virtually any cell with therapeutic peptides, proteins, or enzymes that enhance the functionality of cells targeting solid tumours. AMBP technology is highly modular, comprising our proprietary humanlike anchoring domain, which binds non-specifically into membranes, and a functional domain to enhance the therapeutic potential of immune cells. This approach does not require genetic modification, but still harnesses the innate targeting of cell therapies to deliver therapeutic moieties to the tumour site. Our mission is to use our AMBP technology to enable the next generation of cell therapies targeting solid tumours, and improve the lives of the millions of people diagnosed with cancer each year.
AMBP technology has been developed by Adam Perriman, a Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Bristol, for more than 10 years. In November 2017, CytoSeek was incorporated to commercialise the technology and take it towards clinical application, after winning the top prize at a BBSRC-funded ‘4-day MBA’ pitching event. In June 2019, CytoSeek also won the ‘Rising Star’ award at the Launch Great West event, and was a finalist at the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Emerging Technologies 2019 competition. On the back of our early successes, CytoSeek raised £1.1M, closing in November 2019, to accelerate development progress.
The innovative AMBP design provides a platform to deliver proteins, including those that may otherwise be ineffective or toxic, creating opportunity for myriad new therapeutic modalities to be developed.
We have prioritised and developed in-house a range of constructs with functional domains to address the current challenges in the cell therapy sector, but are ready to deliver bespoke AMBPs to third-party cell therapy developers who are looking to enhance their approaches. Therefore, we consider ourselves to be both innovators and innovation-enablers.
The South West is an ideal home for CytoSeek. Unit DX has been extremely supportive to ourselves and others, and its success garners interest for its tenants from outside parties. We have excellent travel links to London and Oxford, which form two-thirds of the ‘Golden-Triangle’ of cell therapies, as well as Birmingham, home to the Mid-West Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre. Moreover, the South-West attracts talent globally, given the city’s excellent quality of life and high-ranking Universities.
Over the last year, CytoSeek has been accelerating progress on its development pipeline. We have generated exciting in vitro data, and within the coming months, we will have in vivo data for several product candidates, taking us closer to clinical trials.
