Our Vision: Programming Life to Heal Life

We envision a future where engineered cells serve as programmable therapeutic agents, capable of:

  • Sensing: Detecting disease-associated signals

  • Processing: Integrating complex information to make therapeutic decisions

  • Responding: Delivering precisely calibrated therapeutic interventions

  • Adapting: Modifying their responses based on changing disease states

This vision extends beyond treatment to encompass a deeper understanding of how cellular networks function in health and disease. 

Research Highlights

  • Breakthrough in Brain Cancer Treatment

    We developed the first brain-targeted immunotherapy that uses the brain's own anatomical features as a targeting mechanism. Our engineered T cells recognize normal brain tissue and activate cancer-fighting programs only within the brain, dramatically reducing the risk of off-target toxicity while enhancing anti-tumor efficacy.

  • Revolutionizing Neuroinflammation Treatment

    Multiple sclerosis affects millions worldwide, yet current treatments often suppress the entire immune system. Our brain-sensing T cells deliver anti-inflammatory molecules specifically to inflamed brain regions, providing therapeutic benefit without systemic immunosuppression.

  • Creating Better Disease Models

    Traditional mouse models of neurological diseases often fail to recapitulate human pathology. We have engineered CAR-T cells that can induce reproducible, human-like disease features in mice, providing researchers with more accurate models for testing new treatments.

Current Research Programs

Engineered Cellular Sensors for Neurodegenerative Diseases

We are developing sophisticated biosensor platforms capable of detecting different pathological states associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. These engineered sensors serve dual purposes: as research tools for understanding disease progression and as therapeutic platforms for delivering neuroprotective interventions.

Multi-Modal Cell Therapies

Building on our success with single therapeutic payloads, we are engineering cells that can deliver combinations of anti-inflammatory, neurotrophic, and regenerative factors. This systems engineering approach may be necessary to address the complex, multi-factorial nature of brain diseases.

Synthetic Perturbation Biology

We are pioneering the use of engineered cells as systematic perturbation tools to study brain function and disease. By creating controlled perturbations in the brain, we can probe how cells communicate and how these communication networks break down in disease.