EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#Tcelltherapy--Eureka Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel T cell therapies for cancer, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study titled “Antibody–Gamma/Delta T Cell Receptors Targeting GPC2 Regress Neuroblastoma with Low Antigen Density” in Cell Reports Medicine. The study, led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, demonstrated that Eureka’s ARTEMIS® CAR T cells significantly outperformed conventional CAR T cells in preclinical models of neuroblastoma, a high-risk pediatric solid tumor.
These findings mark a potential breakthrough in cell therapy, where conventional CAR T cells have struggled to show consistent success in solid tumors, and safety challenges have limited broader adoption across cancer types. This publication presents the first head-to-head comparison between Eureka’s ARTEMIS CAR T and conventional CAR T cells in solid tumors, demonstrating clear superiority of the ARTEMIS platform in efficacy, tumor infiltration, and persistence. Together, these results position Eureka’s ARTEMIS platform to extend the reach of CAR T therapy beyond blood cancers to solid tumors, the next frontier in cell therapy.
Key Findings from the Study:
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16-Fold Greater Tumor Infiltration. ARTEMIS CAR T cells made up 54% of T cells within tumors, compared to just 3% for conventional CAR T cells, representing a 16-fold increase that highlights their superior ability to penetrate solid tumors.
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Durable Tumor Control in Low-Antigen-Density Tumors. In neuroblastoma mouse models with low GPC2 antigen expression, ARTEMIS CAR T cells led to complete tumor regression and 100% survival at week 7. Conventional CAR T cells using the same antigen binder achieved only 50% survival.
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Enhanced Long-Term Persistence. ARTEMIS CAR T cells exhibited sustained presence and a greater proportion of cells with stem cell-like memory properties, suggesting improved durability and prolonged anti-tumor effects.
- Sustained Function in Hostile Tumor Microenvironments. ARTEMIS CAR T cells remained active and functional in immunosuppressive, low-antigen environments where conventional CAR T cells typically lose potency.
“This NCI-led study represents an important milestone for the entire field of cell therapy,” said Dr. Cheng Liu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eureka Therapeutics. “For the first time, we see clear evidence that restoring the T cell’s natural biology can overcome the long-standing barriers that have limited CAR T success in solid tumors. These findings provide strong scientific validation for the transformative potential already emerging in our ongoing ARTEMIS CAR T clinical trials and move the field closer to realizing the full promise of engineered T cells.”
Unlike conventional CAR T cells that rely on a synthetically fused CD3 zeta signaling domain linked to co-stimulatory molecules, which can cause continuous activation and T cell exhaustion, ARTEMIS CAR T cells were engineered to overcome these limitations through a dual receptor architecture that engages the full natural signaling pathway of T cells. This next generation design preserves the precision of conventional CAR targeting while restoring the balanced and sustained activation of natural T cells. By engaging the complete signaling network, ARTEMIS CAR T cells reduce exhaustion, enhance persistence, and remain active in the hostile tumor microenvironments that have challenged conventional CAR T therapies.
In the published study, the ARTEMIS platform is referred to as an antibody T cell receptor (AbTCR), the established scientific term for the same receptor molecule. This nomenclature reflects ARTEMIS’s distinctive approach to tumor targeting and T cell activation. Functionally, ARTEMIS is a chimeric antigen receptor that combines the high binding affinity of antibodies with the natural signaling capabilities of T cells.
The ARTEMIS CAR T platform is already being evaluated in ongoing U.S. clinical trials for advanced liver cancer and for high-risk B-cell lymphoma patients for whom currently approved conventional CAR T therapies may not be suitable.
Building on this foundation, Eureka, in collaboration with the NCI, is advancing the ARTEMIS CAR T platform into additional solid tumor types, including pancreatic, mesothelioma, ovarian, breast, glioblastoma, and lung cancers. This expansion aims to bring the durable responses achieved with CAR T therapies in blood cancers to solid tumors, which account for over 90% of cancer-related deaths worldwide and remain one of the greatest challenges in oncology.
ABOUT EUREKA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Eureka Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. Its core technologies, the proprietary ARTEMIS® cell receptor and E-ALPHA® antibody discovery platforms, are designed to create safer and more effective T cell therapies for solid and hematologic malignancies. The company currently has two ARTEMIS-based clinical programs, ET140203 (ARYA2) and ECT204 (ARYA3), in Phase I/II U.S. trials in patients with advanced liver cancer.
Eureka Therapeutics, Inc. is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information on Eureka, please visit www.eurekatherapeutics.com. ARTEMIS and E-ALPHA are registered trademarks of Eureka.
Contacts
Eureka Therapeutics, Inc.
Natalie Liu
Investor Relations
510-318-9215
IR@eurekainc.com
